Legacy
by Syd and Z
Summary: After a new threat arises, only three former rangers are left alive on the planet. It is up to them to recruit new rangers to not only protect the world from this evil, but themselves as well.
1. Hell Night

AN: New story from the Syd & Z team. For the purposes of this story, Kira never took part in the Always a Ranger team-up in Operation Overdrive. Enjoy.

---

Ten years. It had been ten years since they'd retired their morphers, graduated from high school, and moved forward with their lives. Conner had gone off to study in Boston and when he was back in Reefside over the summers, he worked on building up his soccer camps, which had become a huge success. Ethan had followed in Hayley's footsteps and set out for MIT, which was followed by a shot snit at Texas Tech, before settling in Dallas and building his empire of Computer Software Design & Gaming, and eventually getting married. Trent had gallivanted to New York for Art School, and since he wasn't doing so great with his work, he'd received a degree in Education and was living in Orlando and teaching Art to High School kids. Kira had moved to New York for a brief period of time before heading out to LA and landing herself a nice recording contract. Tommy had stayed in Reefside and had reconnected with former Pan-Global Gymnast Kimberly Hart and marrying her a few short years later.

When they all parted ways to reach these individual achievements---personal and professional---there were hugs and promises to remain in contact thrown all around. The four teens swore to make pilgrimages back to their hometown to see their teacher and reconnect with one another as much as they could. Unfortunately, things got in the way. The first few years found Kira, Conner, Ethan and Trent back in Reefside for holidays, squeezing in hanging out at Hayley's Cyberspace between spending time with family. But after that, things were reduced to occasional phone calls, more frequent emails, and nonexistent face to face visits. Soon after that, even the emails became occasional things.

Trent was the one who got to use the distance factor into his trips home, often using his two summer months off to work on his artwork, and spend time with his wife Kendra and their baby girl Elise. He had been home a few times to visit his father and Elsa, but more often than not, they went to visit Trent. Ethan and Kira had very similar reasons for not returning home. Ethan was always more than knee deep in different projects, and by the time he was 25, he was one of richest men in the world in an ever expanding company. He had also married young and had a young son to take care of.

Kira however was a completely different type of busy. After exploding onto the music scene at age 19 with a punk-rock sound, she'd shot to stardom and was always gallivanting across the globe with a new tour, or promoting her albums. Although, most of the team tried to stay away from it, they usually discovered the happenings in Kira's life via the gossip sites and tabloid magazines. At 24, after calling off her engagement to a huge movie star, Kira retired from recording and moved more into the production aspect, and at 26, after returning to Reefside, Kira created her own label (Flight Records) and had settled into a somewhat normal life, helping others achieve the same dream she had as a teen. To some extent, her distance from the others wasn't completely accidental on her part. Though she missed her friends, a part of her was less inclined to spend too much time around them for fear that they'd get sucked into the paparazzi and gossip world she hated by simply associating with her. This thought increased as Ethan grew to fame with his company. A part of her was afraid, with the two of them both in the public eye, implications would be made, not to mention neither party would get a moments rest from interviewers asking them about the other party. There was no part of Kira that wanted to put Ethan through the annoyance of dealing with some teen gossip reporter asking _him_ what _her_ latest project was or who she was dating these days. She didn't want resentment to fill the air if the others lives were at all effected simply because they knew her. So, to avoid ruining friendships, she simply stayed away as much as she could.

Conner was the only one who was never really heard from. He sent out Christmas cards every year, but each time that Trent, Kira, Hayley or Tommy tried to contact him, he'd moved or changed numbers. None of them could ever figure out why Conner had stayed away, not until things started occurring.

----

December, 2013.

Things had been occurring around Dallas, Texas for nearly a year. It wasn't anything that the International Media was covering, but strange deaths, mysterious occurrences, things that a normal person would never pick up on. Correction, that nobody would pick up on. Unless you we're a former power ranger. 27-year-old computer genius and God in the digital world for computers and gaming was one such person tracking these strange events, and had been for a few months now. But he wasn't the only one. About a month after the attacks, murders and disappearances started occurring; Ethan had gotten in touch with Conner. He had been the only one that Conner stayed in touch with. Conner never specified why he was so elusive with the others, but Ethan had a few guesses as to why. One of Ethan's guesses had been correct. Conner had been tracking these strange things and had already figured out that they were more than likely ranger related.

Whimsically, Ethan invited Conner to live in their spare bedroom in Dallas, and basically become one of the family. Having not had a place to call home since his high school days in Reefside, Conner accepted. Conner took a job at the local high school as a gym teacher and worked part-time for the State University (In Dallas) as the Soccer Coach. A few days after things settled down and Conner began to lead a normal life in Dallas, Ethan and Conner sat down to figure things out. In the process, Ethan revealed that he'd built his own 'Dino Lair', which was where he had been tracking the strange things. At the same time, Conner admitted that he had gone looking for a power source, similar to that of their Dino Gems that could be used in case of an emergency. And they set to work. The two friends and former teammates thought about once again donning their figurative super hero capes themselves as well as calling in their fellow former rangers. Conner, exhibiting his excitable nature from the old days, rambled on how good it'd be to have the old team back together. Ethan could tell some of that was wanting to make amends with their friends, explain to them that his distance wasn't by choice or a lack of friendship on his part in hopes that they didn't hate him. Ethan smiled, shaking his head at how some things never changed before calming Conner down and telling him it wasn't time to call in the troops quite yet. There was still too much they needed to learn. Who was responsible for these things? What kind of creature could they possibly be dealing with here? The two spent nearly six months working out the fine details of what was happening. They were finding their answers just in time too. The incidents were become more frequent and whoever this person was, seemed to catch the attention of National media. Both Ethan and Conner knew that they we're going to call in the other soon, they just didn't know when.

---

July, 2014. Dallas, Texas (7pm.)

"Hey Conner, hurry up!" Ethan called up the stairs. Ethan, Emily and their son Ryan were treating Conner to ice cream for his 27th birthday. It wasn't a huge celebration, but given recent events, Ethan figured it was better to keep things low key. He had received a phone call from Dr. Oliver earlier that week saying that Adam and Tanya Park had been murdered in their sleep in Houston, Texas. Ethan had started to worry at that point. Former rangers, and they didn't live all that far from his family. It scared Ethan. So, the plans to throw Conner a huge celebration had been cancelled, and instead they did a small homemade dinner, followed by ice cream. A moment later, Conner came barreling down the steps, black sandled feet hitting the marble floors. He was wearing his trademark red t-shirt, and a pair of black surfer shorts. His dark brown hair was still unruly, and he face had only aged slightly.

"Ready," he commented.

"It's about time," Emily muttered good naturedly as she walked over to the two men, carrying Ryan against her hip. Conner smiled at her. In the few months that he'd been staying with the James', he truly had begun to feel like family. Much like when they were teenage superheroes, Conner saw Ethan much like a brother. Therefore, he naturally saw Emily and Ryan as his sister-in-law and nephew, and Emily and Ryan were more than happy to treat Conner in the same fashion.

"Uncle Conner," Ryan said, squirming a bit in his mother's arms. Ryan was very much a precocious little tot. Though he was only three, he didn't want to be treated like a baby. Emily sighed and set her son down. "I bet you I can eat more ice cream than you," he said, giving Conner a grin. Conner laughed.

"Oh really, little man?" He asked. He stuck is hand towards the boy. "You're on," he said. Ryan took his "uncle's" hand and the two shook on it.

"Oh great," Emily said, coming up next to Ethan as he put an arm around her waist. "If I have to deal with a sugar crazed, hyperactive three year old come bedtime, you're a dead man, McKnight," she said. Conner simply grinned at her.

"Let's get going shall we?" Ethan commented, steering the group towards the front door.

---

July, 2014. Reefside, California (5pm)

Kira had finished up for the day and was now on-route to Dr. Oliver's house for dinner. Ever since she'd moved back to Reefside, Tommy and Kim had been more than great to her. While she waited for her house to be built, she lived with the couple and their two children Allison and Courtney. Even though she'd moved out nearly a year ago, Kira still attended regular dinners at their house out on Velencia Dr. As she sped through town, Kira listened closely to the radio for more details on the deaths of Adam and Tanya Park. She had been at Tommy's house earlier that week when the call had come through about what had happened. Having never met either, Kira was not nearly as upset as Kim and Tommy, but felt a great deal of sadness in the passing of two former rangers, one being a predecessor of hers. She hadn't been back to their home since, and tonight was their regular dinner night. She felt a twinge of sadness as she pulled into their driveway. Today was Conner's 27th birthday. As she'd done for every birthday since they graduated, she sent him a birthday card to his last known address, and as expected a few days later it was returned, unopened with a 'No longer resides here' label stuck on the front. Climbing out of her yellow Chevy Cobalt, Kira headed towards the front door, noticing that Hayley's truck was parked next to Tommy's signature black Jeep. Smiling, Kira pounded on the front door before opening it and heading in. Maybe tonight would prove to be more exciting than she thought.

---

July, 2014. Orlando, Florida (8pm)

"Here comes the choochoo," Trent said as he waved a small spoon in front of his daughter. The seven moth year old girl simply stared at her father with a blank expression. Trent persisted regardless of Elise's closed mouth. "Chuga chuga chuga chuga, toot toot!" He said as the spoon got closer to her mouth. He sighed. Seeing it was useless, he put the spoon back into the jar of baby food and rested his elbow on the corner of the kitchen table, his chin resting on his upraised palm. It had been five days since he received the phone call from Dr. Oliver telling him of the passing of Adam and Tanya. On the surface, the names did not mean much to him. He'd never met them and wasn't around when the others saw Dr. Oliver's video diary, giving faces and personalities to the names. But, beneath that, he was saddened. He figured it had to do with them being fellow former rangers. All rangers were like one family under the Power Ranger surname. He saw Adam and Tanya like a couple of distant relatives. Sure, he'd never known them but they were connected to him in some way. With their death also went away any future possibility of meeting the two Zeo/Turbo rangers. Since hearing their news, Trent hid his feelings about the tragedy from his wife and child, opting to just continue with his life and spend more time with the two most important women in his life. It's true, death, no matter the lack of closeness you may have had with the deceased, makes you think of the people in your life and wanting to hold onto them as hard as you can. Trent blew a puff of air from his lips, the hair that fell over his forehead floating up a bit before falling back to its resting spot. He cast a look at Elise, his pride and joy, as he sat up and resumed his efforts with the spoon. "Toot, toot!" He said.

"She doesn't like the train," came a voice as Kendra, his wife, entered the kitchen and made her way to the stove to start cooking dinner for herself and Trent. Trent looked at her.

"She doesn't?" He asked. Kendra shook his head. "Every kid likes the train," he insisted. Kendra laughed.

"Well, not our kid," she said, filling a pot with water. "She likes the airplane," she said.

"Airplane?" He asked. He looked back at Elise and shrugged. "It's worth a shot," he muttered to himself. He hummed, sounding like the engine of a turbo jet and waving the spoon around. As Kendra predicted, the little mouth opened and happily accepted the spoon. Trent raised an eyebrow. "Well, how about that," he thought aloud.

---

July, 2014. Dallas, Texas (8pm)

He had barely been gone five minutes when the explosion went off. It was very close to him, he could feel the flames licking at his back as he crashed to the pavement. Slowly, Conner pushed himself up, dusting off the debris as he went and turned around. There, where he'd been sitting with Ethan and his family, was engulfed in flames. Crying out, Conner sprinted back towards the destroyed area, pushing through the hordes of injured and dead before stopping at the patio where the Ice Cream Store once stood. Instead of the patio and adjoining building, there was a massive empty hole in the ground. Ground Zero. Choking back a sob, Conner fell to his knees and took in the chaos around him.

Someone had planted a bomb here, where Ethan's family had been sitting. And where he should have been as well.

It was deliberate. Someone knew what he and Ethan were planning, and they weren't going to stop until they were dead.

Conner doubled forward, his forehead touching the ground as he buried his face in his arms, his body shaking with sobs that could not be contained. Over the sound of the burning wreckage and the cries of pain and panic around him, Conner could hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance. He knew that he only had a few precious moments until the cops, fire department and paramedics got here, and he knew that if someone had deliberately done this, the next logical place they would attack, would be Ethan's basement. He'd have to get there quick if he was going to prevent this person from doing even more damage. Conner willed himself out of his black hole of sorrow and grief as he pushed himself up to his feet. He took a deep breath, not caring of the smoke entering his lungs.

"They won't get away with this, I promise," Conner spoke, the smoke burning his lungs, making a vow to his dead family. He slowly stepped away, making his way back to Ethan's house. His ranger instincts screamed in his mind, telling him to go back and help the wounded, but he had to get back to the house. He knew that once he got back and figured things out, he was going to have the daunting task of calling the other rangers to inform them of what had happened... And he wasn't looking forward to that. When he thought about calling his friends and talking to them for the first time in years, this wasn't what he had in mind.

---

July, 2014. Dallas, Texas (8:30pm)

Conner stumbled into the house and headed straight for the basement door. He swung it open and flicked the lights on. He galloped down the stairs and quickly took inventory of the room. Thankfully, nothing seemed out of place as he headed over to the computer and activated the security system. He quickly entered some information and locked it down so that in case of a breach, nobody would be able to access the information. Sighing he stood up and glanced around the room for a moment. He headed over to the phone and sat down. Taking a deep breath, he lifted the phone off the receiver and began dialing the all too familiar number for Tommy Oliver.

---

July, 2014. Reefside, California (11pm - 1am Texas time)

Kira was just nicely curled up in her chair watching the evening news. It had been a long day at the studio and on top of that she'd had dinner with Tommy and his family as well as Hayley, which had been a great dinner, had just increased the length of her day. Now, as part of her evening routine, she was going to watch the news, then have a nice hot bath before bed.

"A large explosion occurred earlier this evening at a local ice cream store in Dallas, Texas," The news reporter said. Kira's ears perked up at that. She shifted on the couch as the news showed video footage of fire fighters trying to extinguish the flames and paramedics tending to wounded people.

"Upon latest reports," another reporter's voice could be heard as the camera spanned back to a local on scene reporter. "The blast killed at least ten patrons and injured many others. At the moment, authorities have not released details on what might've caused the…" The ringing phone a few feet away Kira made her jump slightly before she grabbed the remote and lowered the volume a bit. She stood up and walked over to the small end table where her cordless phone rested. As she made her way over, she sort of hoped it was Ethan calling. Maybe he figured the explosion made news and was calling to tell her he, Emily and Ryan were safe and sound, much like people in New York had done after the attacks on the World Trade Center over ten years ago. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone, placing the white receiver against her ear.

"Hello?"

"Kira?" Came a voice. Kira furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She had been expecting, hoping, it'd be Ethan, maybe even Emily, and was therefore surprised to hear the voice of someone she hadn't spoken to in years.

"Conner?" She asked, confused. She heard Conner take in a shaky breath. She wasn't sure whether to be happy to hear from him, or angry that it'd been so long. "What's going on?" She asked, her mixed emotions causing her to sound neutral.

"Kira…..I….." She could hear the sadness in his tone. Absentmindedly, Kira made her way back towards the TV, her pent up emotions making her feel restless and in need of a good pace.

"What is it?" Kira asked. She stopped as the TV screen showed a photo of Ethan during one of his recent press conferences, talking about upcoming games his company was developing. Kira's hand shook a bit as she raised the volume a bit.

"…..lost his life in the explosion along with his wife and……"

"Kira," Conner spoke again. "It's Ethan, he….."

"Oh god," Kira nearly sobbed as the phone fell out of her hand and her knees buckled beneath her, making her fall on her pale yellow carpeted floor.

"Kira? Kira?" She could hear Conner's voice coming through the phone as she sat there, staring at her TV screen. During the brief period when the phone lay forgotten on the floor, tears had streaked their way down Kira's face. She was stationary for another moment before reaching for the phone. She could hear Conner's terrified cries, asking her if she was okay.

"I'm okay." She whispered. She heard Conner let out a relieved sigh

"I thought that," he paused, his voice trailing, he sighed again. "Never mind," he said. Kira slowly brought herself back up to her feet. She shut off the TV that now featured a CEO from Ethan's company, expressing the company's grief over losing such a bright young mind like this.

"Did his parents call you?" Kira asked, making her way to her room. She figured Ethan's family had been notified and made the rounds of calling friends.

"No," Conner said. "I…..I was there," Conner said. Kira stopped, letting that news marinate in her mind.

"You're in Texas?" She asked. Well, she thought to herself, looks like that birthday card won't reach him. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Are you hurt?" She asked.

"I'm fine," Conner said definitely.

"Conner," Kira said, she knew that wasn't the truth.

"I breathed in some smoke and got some cuts and bruises, I'm fine," he said after a sigh. Kira let out another sigh.

"Thank god. I don't think I could stand to loose another friend right about now." She replied. A thought struck her a moment later. "Conner, why are you in Texas?" There was a moment of silence.

"It's a long story, Kira," he finally said. "I'd rather give you guys the full explanation face to face." Kira made her way to the bed and sat down on the edge, pulling her legs up and curling them beneath her.

"Why do I get a feeling there's more to what happened today than the news is telling?" Kira muttered. Conner let out a low chuckle.

"There is more to the story Kira." He told her softly. "But I can't tell you that over the phone..." He trailed off. Kira picked at the non-existent lint on her duvet.

"I'll be booking a ticket down tomorrow morning." She replied.

"No need for that Kira... I've already booked flights for you, Dr. Oliver and Trent." He commented, trying to make it sound as if it was something he did everyday. Kira was flabbergasted.

"What?" She managed to sputter into the phone. Conner could picture her face, trying to understand what he'd said, and in spite of the moment, he smiled.

"Under Ethan's credit card from the company." He replied as he focused on sending the information off to the former yellow ranger. He had already sent the information to Trent and Tommy, and Kira had been the last person to talk to, and therefore being the last to send the information to as well.

"You'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon at 2pm, and arriving in Dallas at 7pm." He told her as he hit the send button on his computer. "I just e-mailed you the e-ticket." Kira sat there for a while as she took in all the information. There was something inside of her, tugging at her heart and soul. She could best describe it as desperation.

"Conner?" She whispered after a while.

"Yes?"

"Be there tomorrow, please?" She asked. "I just…….I need to see you there, I need to be sure you're okay." She was surprised by her own words. She tried to brush it off as grieving for Ethan and not wanting to be filled with further uncertainty about another friend, but she wasn't sure.

"Kira," he said in a tone so firm, Kira knew if he was standing before her, he'd be staring in her eyes to make sure his point went across clearly and without question or doubt from her. "I will be there." The desperation lessened a bit at that.

"Good," she said. She paused as another thought occurred to her. "What about the others?" She asked.

"Others?" Conner asked.

"Hayley, Trent and Tommy's wives and children," she explained. "Will they be safe?" She asked. Something about what was going on told Kira it was a valid question to bring up. Conner was silent for a moment. This irked Kira a bit. "Conner," she said, her tone somewhat close to snapping at him. "If what happened to Ethan is in any way connected to what happened to the Parks, which your cryptic tone seems to point to, then-"

"Kira," Conner cut in, his tone was tired, imploring. "I'll be honest, there's no telling whose safe and who isn't safe right now. But,"

"But what?" Kira asked.

"You guys and Hayley suddenly traveling to Texas after Ethan's death isn't suspicious. You'd be here for the funeral. Tommy and Trent uprooting their wives and kids and bringing them along might garner some attention…..the wrong kind." Kira hadn't thought of that.

"Oh." She replied. There was a beep on her phone. "That's my call waiting," she said in an apologetic tone. "I'll just ignore it."

"No, take it," Conner said. "I need to get some things done before tomorrow, not to mention try to sleep."

"Oh," Kira said. She bit her lip. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Kira asked. Conner made an 'mmhmm' affirming sound before the two ended their conversation and Kira clicked over to the other line. "Hello?"

"Hey, Kira," came the reply of Tommy's voice. She quickly detected the sadness and barely contained tears in his voice.

"Dr. O," Kira replied, the sound of his voice bringing her own tears back to her attention.

"I……uh…just wanted to call to see if you wanted to ride to the airport with me and Hayley," he said. Kira took a deep breath and smiled a bit through her tears.

"Yeah," she said, sobbing a bit. "That'd be nice," she said. The two spoke for another minute or so before saying goodbye. Kira wiped at her eyes and went to her computer to print out the e-ticket Conner sent her. Sleep didn't come easily that night for Kira. In fact, she tossed and turned for most of it, sleeping no more than ten minutes at a time, and waking up panicked that someone was in her house. After she repeated this routine a few times, she sighed, giving up on sleep since even if she did fall asleep for longer periods of time, she knew it wouldn't be a sound sleep. She shuffled about her house, figuring she might as well get her packing taken care of. As she walked through the rooms, she switched on all the lights, thinking it would ease her fears. But even as she puttered around, it didn't help to ease any of the tension that she could feel in the house. It felt as if someone was watching her. Although it sounded strange, Kira knew that her ranger instincts were hardly ever wrong. Glancing at the clock, she noted that it was nearly 4am. She gave it a moment's thought before she picked up her phone and began dialing.

"Hello?" Came a tired, groggy voice.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Kira blurted out. There was silence on the line for a second.

"Kira?" The voice said through a yawn.

"Yeah," she said. She heard shuffling and figured Conner was sitting up in bed or something to that nature.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice more alert. Kira let out a long breath.

"I….." Her voice trailed, unsure what to say. She bit her lip as she debated whether or not to tell him. She closed her eyes, sighing. "I'm scared." The sound of panic in Kira's voice pushed Conner's brain into full-working mode.

"What happened?" He demanded. It wasn't a request that she tell him, it was a demand. He tucked his trusty Bluetooth onto his ear and pressed a button, connecting himself to the portable phone so that he could still listen to Kira while he got ready.

"Nothing happened," she said, her voice shaking. She was already freaked out enough as it was, but she just thought it was paranoia. Now, with Conner's change in attitude was telling her maybe she had something to fear. An old saying came to her mind: it's not paranoia if there really are people out to get you. "I just…..something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?"

"I……I feel like I'm being watched," she told him with the utmost honesty. The hair on the back of Conner's neck stood up when she told him that she felt like she was being watched. If he and Ethan had developed teleportation capabilities with the new power source, what was stopping this new guy from doing the same?

"Shit." Conner whispered as he pulled on his jeans and shoved his keys, wallet and cell phone into his pocket. He pulled his red shirt over his head and slid his leather jacket over top. "Kira, do NOT answer the door or the phone until I get there." He told her.

"Until you get here?" Kira asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Kira, there's no time to explain. You're just going to have to trust me," he said hurriedly. Kira could hear him running and then heard the sounds of computer keys being typed. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Kira said without hesitation. Conner smiled on the other end.

"Good. Now, I need you to give me your address." Conner listened as Kira, still confused, gave him the address, her reciting of her address was met with more typing sounds. "All right. Now," he said, "hang up the phone and stay away from the windows until I get there." Before Kira could respond, she heard him hang up. Doing as she was told, Kira backed away from the window and tucked herself into a corner, arms wrapped around herself. She froze as she saw a shadow cast by the window in her living room from her corner. She began to tremble a bit. Even as she spoke to Conner, a part of her still held onto the idea that this was all paranoia, now she was not so sure. She slowly inched away from the wall, curiosity driving her to want to get a look at who might be there. Just as she was about to get a look, a loud bang made her jump and shriek as she quickly sunk back against the wall. After her jumpiness faded, she realized it was the sound of her metal trashcan being knocked over. Though, that did nothing to ease her trembling. She kept her eyes on the shadow on the carpet. It stood there for a few minutes before disappearing completely. Kira closed her eyes, unsure what was going to happen next. As long as the shadow remained in her sight, she at least knew where this intruder was. Now that it was gone, she was afraid to think where it could be. Suddenly, a red, life size prism surrounded in electricity appeared where the shadow had been. Kira had to shield her eyes from the brightness for a moment, and when she looked back, she saw jean clad legs. Kira closed her eyes as her trembling increased, afraid the bearer of the shadow had somehow managed to get into her house.

"Kira?" Came a voice. Kira's eyes snapped open as she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Slowly, she stepped out of the corner she had hidden herself in and nearly fainted at the sight of Conner standing there in her living room.

"Oh my god." She whispered, pushing herself into a standing position. Conner moved forward and threw his arms around Kira in a tight hug. He felt Kira bury her face in his shoulder, her body shaking.

"It's okay, it's okay," Conner whispered to her, trying to sooth her. Kira closed her eyes as the stress from the past few minutes finally took its toll on her. "Whoa," Conner said as he suddenly felt Kira go limp in his arms. He tightened his hold on her and got down on one knee to keep her from falling. He looked down and saw she had fainted. Conner sighed and gently brushed a blonde curl from her face. He stood back up, shifting her in his arms so he was now holding her, his arms supporting her across the shoulders and under her knees. He walked deeper into the house, walking around until he found her bedroom. He was relieved to see that the room only had one window. He went to the bed and gently laid her down on the yellow duvet before going back and shutting the light off in the room. After doing this, he crept over to the widow, careful to flatten himself against the wall by the window. From his spot, he slowly inched the yellow curtain aside to sneak a look outside. All he saw was the darkened yard, street, and houses with sleeping neighbors. He let the curtain fall back in place as he made his way back to Kira. He gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Kira," he said, shaking her shoulder. "Come on, we've got to get out of here," he said. Kira opened her eyes, gazing up at him with a questioning look. Conner smiled down at her before reaching over and taking her hands in his. "Come on," he said as he gently pulled her up to a sitting position.

"What's going on, Conner?" She asked in a low voice. Conner sighed and kneeled before her so they were at the same eye level.

"Kira, I'll tell you everything you want to know. Just, not here. You're not safe here," he said. Kira tilted her head slightly.

"What do you mean I'm not safe here?" She asked. Conner shook his head.

"We have to go. Now." He told her. Just as the two were standing up, there was a loud crash from the kitchen. Both of them jumped to their feet. "Shit," Conner muttered. The crash was from the kitchen window. The two were silent as they heard the sound of footsteps in the kitchen. Conner grabbed Kira around the waist. Kira looked at him. "Hold on," he told her. Kira slowly put her arms around his neck. Behind her, she felt Conner touch something on his wrist. Kira jumped at the sound of her bedroom door being kicked open. She turned to see who was there, but the red prism surrounded them before she could get a look. The pair was soon gone. Kira felt like she was being crushed from all sides. Her breath was pushed from her lungs and she could feel everything starting to go dark. Then, just as quickly as the red prism had appeared, it faded away. Kira looked around and saw she and Conner were standing in some sort of lab. It greatly resembled the one that was in Dr. Oliver's basement. If it weren't for some differences in spacing and layout, she would've thought that she and Conner had been transported to the basement they spent a lot of their teenage days in. Kira noticed that she was still clinging to Conner, afraid that if she let go, he'd disappear.

"Where are we?" She questioned. Conner's grip on her waist slacked a little as he relaxed, being back in a friendly environment. Kira stepped away from him as she walked around the space, looking around.

"The short answer is, Ethan's basement," Conner said as she watched her studying every thing in the room, trying to understand and come to the only natural and logical conclusions, given their past.

"You mean..." She trailed off, turning around and facing Conner and taking in his actual appearance for the first time since he'd rescued her. His dark hair was lighter than it had been when they were in high school. He was a little taller than what he had been before, and if anything more muscular. The part that shocked her the most was that his normally 'stop-traffic' face had aged more than the rest of his body. There were worry and sag lines that hadn't been there ten years before. And mostly, he looked tired. His eyes seemed to have lost the ever present sparkle they had as teenagers. Forcing herself back to present and out of memory land, Kira waited for Conner to answer. He sighed a moment before nodding.

"Yeah." He replied.

"How long?" She asked.

"Since Ethan and I started working together? A year." He replied. He paused a moment.

"Before that... I worked solo for five." He finished. Kira did the mental math in her head. She nodded slowly.

"That's why all your birthday cards were returned to me." She whispered to herself. Conner stepped towards her.

"You sent birthday cards?" He asked. Kira looked at him, her eyes narrowing. Now that they were in a safe place, she could let her anger come up.

"Of course I did!" She snapped. "We all did. We tried getting in touch with you but you just fell off the face of the earth."

"I'm sorry," Conner said softly.

"We didn't know if you were okay," she continued on her rant. "We didn't know if you were alive or not. I don't hear from you for the better part of the decade….and this……this is how I hear from you? Ethan's death, and all this?" Conner sighed, the guilt seeping through him again. Ethan had said something similar to him when he'd contacted him. Granted everyone had still been alive at that point, and it had only been two years since he'd graduated college... But that wasn't the point. Kira was right; he should have stayed in contact.

"I know its worthless now, but I am sorry Kira. I never imagined that this was how I would get to talk to you again." He replied softly. Kira glared at him. By all rights, she should accept his words and just be grateful that he came to get her. But she just couldn't. Maybe she was angry about Ethan's death, maybe it was a culmination of everything that had gone on in the past few hours.

"You're right," she said. Conner looked at her. "It is worthless now," she said. Conner looked down, feeling like she had just sucker punched him. Sure, he deserved it, but it didn't change how it made him feel.

"I didn't tell anyone what I was doing, because everyone else was off living their lives and I didn't want to disrupt that," he told her.

"Oh, don't you dare make yourself out to be the martyr here, Conner McKnight. Don't act like you sacrificed so much. You could've at least kept in contact, even if you omitted all of this," Kira said.

"Kira, I'm not making myself out to be a martyr," Conner said. "Then what are you doing?!" She yelled at him. Something inside Conner snapped. He closed the gap between them and grabbed her by her arms.

"I was trying to protect you!" He exploded. Kira's eyes widened at his actions and words. She'd never seen Conner like this, and was a little scared. Conner blinked, realizing what he was doing. He quickly let her go and stepped away, putting distance between them. "I'm sorry," he said.

"What?" Was all that Kira managed to squeak out. Conner shook his head.

"It's nothing, forget it." He replied walking over to the computers. Kira took a few tentative steps towards him.

"Conner," she said. "I won't forget it. And it's obviously something if it made you react like that." Conner stopped and turned back towards her. He took a deep breath.

"Look at what happened just now," he said. "I called you, and suddenly your place wasn't safe anymore. I was living here with Ethan and his family and….." His voice trailed off as his chin quivered, trying to keep himself from crying again. "It's my fault." He whispered, still trying to contain himself. "I found this, whatever it is, six years ago and I've been running ever since... I finally managed to think that I'd shaken him off and I got Ethan's family killed!" He finished. Kira watched as he slumped against a nearby table and buried his face in his hands. Kira looked at him, her anger fading. She couldn't see him like this. She could feel it broke her heart.

"Oh, Conner," she sighed. She went to him and wrapped her arms around him. Conner's knees gave out and the two of them slowly sank to the floor together, Conner sobbing and Kira trying her best to comfort him. "It wasn't your fault," she whispered against his hair as he curled up against her, letting her engulf him in her arms. "These things, whatever they are, would've found us somehow. They found the Parks, didn't they?" Conner thought about it for a moment before something dawned on him.

"They're attacking former rangers... Anyone attached to the grid." He whispered. He sat up, making Kira release him. "The question is, why?" Kira thought for a moment before the figurative light bulb went off over her head.

"So that there'd be no one to take up the mantle again, to stop them," she concluded. Conner spun around.

"You're right! But the better question is why doesn't whatever this is want former rangers to stop him? What is he going to do?" Kira shook her head, showing she had no idea.

"You're the one who's been tracking this for five years, I have no clue." Conner sighed and sat back, resting his back against the table. Kira sat up straighter as a thought occurred to her. "Oh no," she said. Conner looked at her.

"What is it?" He asked. Kira gave him an incredulous look.

"You've got Hayley, Trent and Tommy coming here tomorrow. Slight problem, Kimberly's a former ranger. What's going to stop this thing…….or things……..from going after her and the kids while Tommy's here?" Just as Conner opened his mouth, the phone rang. Conner and Kira gave each other fearful looks, afraid of what new news it could bring. Conner and Kira jumped to their feet as they ran up to the main level of the house, Kira following him to the nearest phone. Conner skidded to a stop before the phone, hitting the speaker button on the base, his hands shaking too much to pick up the handset.

"Hello?" He asked. The line was filled with the sound of sirens. Kira's face paled as she reached Conner's hand, squeezing it.

"Conner?" Came Tommy's voice after a few coughs.

"What happened?" Conner asked.

"There's been an explosion here," Tommy said.

"Oh god," Kira muttered. "Is everyone okay?"

"Kira?" Tommy asked, shocked. "How'd you get there?"

"We'll explain later. What happened?" Conner asked.

"Something……somehow……got into the old lab," he said. "I don't know what happened. All I know is one second we're all sleeping peacefully, then there was a loud explosion downstairs. Everyone got out all right," Conner felt Kira's squeeze on his hand lessen. "What the hell is going on?"

"Dr. Oliver, this thing…..whatever it is…….we think it's going after former rangers," Conner said. Tommy was silent for a while.

"Is it only getting rangers here on earth?" He asked. Conner paused.

"I……I think so," Conner said. "Why?"

"I've still got some contacts over at NASADA," Tommy informed, his voice lowered. Kira and Conner were silent as their former science teacher came up with a plan to put as many past rangers into hiding on Mirinoi and Aquitar as possible. Conner nearly kicked himself for not thinking of that himself. Maybe Ethan, Emily and Ryan would still be alive if he had.

"What about families?" Kira asked. Tommy knew she was referring to Kendra and Elise.

"I'll call Trent. See if he can get them here right away. I'll make sure they stay with Kimberly and my girls. Kimberly will make sure they're okay." Kira sighed. After Elise had been born, Trent and Kendra had named Kira as the baby's godmother. She wanted to be sure they were safe. "Conner, this means we won't be able to make it to Texas for a few days."

"That's okay... As long as you, Kim and the girls are safe." Conner replied honestly. He knew that to Tommy, his family was everything. He sighed. "Dr. O, if you'd rather stay with them, I-"

"Conner," Tommy cut in sternly. "Trent and I will both be in Texas in a week at the latest. I'm not going to leave and let my students face this on their own. You're my family as much as Kim and the girls are." Tommy knew there was no way Conner would go into hiding. From the tone in the younger man's voice, he could tell he was invested in this mission. He wasn't going to go off to Mirinoi and leave Conner to face whatever this was all alone. "So since you avoided it before, what is Kira doing in Texas, with you?" Tommy questioned. The two friends paused, detecting the suspicious in his tone.

"It's not like that," Kira said quickly. "Something got in my house," she explained. "Conner showed up and got me out of there before anything happened."

"I see," Tommy said. "And how was Conner able to do this?" Kira paused, seeing as that was a question she had herself.

"Ethan was able to develop teleportation technology before…." Conner's voice trailed a bit.

"I see," Tommy said.

"I would use it to get you, Trent and get the others to NASADA, but," Conner stated, his trademark sheepish half smile gracing his features. "I'm not the tech genius. It was pure luck that I was able to get to Kira."

"Don't worry about it," Tommy said. "Just glad to hear you guys are okay." Tommy said, taking up his role of father figure once again. "I have to go, Kimberly's having trouble keeping the girls from getting restless."

"All right, man," Conner said. They bid there farewells before ending the call. Conner turned to Kira. "Kira," he said. "Look, if you want to go with Kimberly and the others, I can get you back to California. I-" Kira stopped him by putting a hand on his cheek.

"I'm staying," she said softly, her voice filled with certainty and determination. Conner sighed and placed a hand on the one on his cheek.

"Kira, I don't want you to get hurt," he said. "I can't lose you too. Consider it, will you, please?" Kira looked off, as if in deep thought, before looking at him again with a small smile.

"I considered it. You're not getting rid of me that easily," she said. Conner smiled. As much as he wanted her out of harms way, he was glad she was staying. The short time he'd been around her just now just told him he'd need her strength and support as this went on. He pulled her close and hugged her. They stood there for a while before disentangling. Conner noticed her yawning a bit and smiled.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" He suggested, telling her where his room was. "I want to do some scans, see if Tommy needs help tracking down any other rangers." Kira nodded. The idea of sleep seemed like a positively blissful thing at the moment. The two hugged once more before Kira went upstairs to Conner's room.

TBC…


	2. The Great Exodus

AN: We'd like to thank those who've sent us reviews for the previous chapter. Also, for the purpose of this story, the SPD, Mystic Force and Operation Overdrive teams do not exist.

-----

After Tommy got off the phone with Kira and Conner, he called Hayley and told her everything that had gone on. Mere moments after getting off the phone with him, the redhead drove to his house and picked up the whole Oliver brood, taking them back to her house. Kimberly put the girls to bed in Hayley's room as Tommy enlightened Hayley on his plan to get everyone into hiding.

"So, I guess we won't be going to Texas, huh?" Hayley said wryly. Tommy gave her a half smile.

"Trent and I will be going once the great exodus is taken care of," he informed. Hayley tilted her head to the side.

"And what am I, chopped chicken liver?" She asked, unsure why it suddenly seemed she was ousted from the trek to Dallas.

"Well, you'll be too busy sitting on a spaceship with your fiancé to accompany us to the lone star state," Tommy said. Hayley bit her lip, looking down at the small diamond engagement ring.

"I'm not a former ranger," she replied. "I'd be much more useful here helping you guys out." Tommy shook his head.

"You're the bride to be of a former ranger, which is just as important," he said, giving her a smile. His smile faded before he knelt before her and looked at her in the eye. "And I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you," he said. Hayley sighed. She and Tommy had been friends for nearly fifteen years. She knew of his stubbornness.

"All right," she said. Tommy was glad to see she was seeing things his way. He stood back up as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He looked over to see Kimberly descend the stairs and join them in Hayley's living room.

"The munchkins are fast asleep," she said with a sigh as she put her arms around Tommy's waist. Tommy turned towards her and put his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him and laying a kiss on the side of her forehead. Kimberly shifted her eyes over to Hayley. "Thank you so much for letting us stay here," she said. Hayley quickly waved a dismissive hand.

"Think nothing of it. You know you guys are always welcomed here," she said. "Well, as long as 'always' isn't after I move. I don't think the new tenants will be as welcoming," she said. Kimberly gave the redheaded technical genius a small laugh. Tommy could tell his wife was too tired and shaken by the evening's events to fully appreciate Hayley's attempt to raise her spirits. He gently rubbed her back.

"Why don't you go and catch some shut eye with the girls?" He suggested. Kimberly stepped out of the embrace and looked at Tommy.

"I'm fine. Besides, I know you and Hayley are just going to stay up and talk about this whole getting former rangers into hiding thing I overheard you talking to Conner about," she said. Tommy winced. He thought he had been more discrete. It wasn't that he didn't want his wife to know what was going on. It was just that he knew that Kimberly, as not only a fellow former ranger but one of the originals like himself, would insist on staying and facing the evil as well, and Tommy couldn't let her do that. For one thing, he needed to know that she was all right with their daughters. For another, he knew he'd never be able to focus on their enemy if he was worrying about her getting hurt or something while they fought beside each other. Tommy sighed. "So," Kimberly said, tearing him from his thoughts, "don't try to get rid of me."

"All right," he said. "Hayley and I are going to see about getting in contact with the other teams, can you go and call Trent and tell him to get here with Kendra and Elise?" Kimberly planted a kiss on her husband's lips.

"I'll do you one better, I'll spread the word to our former teammates afterwards," she said. Tommy smiled gratefully, mentally taking note of who Hayley and he didn't have to try and reach as Kimberly walked to the other room to use the phone. Once Kimberly was out of the room, Tommy turned back to Hayley.

"So, how should we get the word out to the other rangers?" Hayley asked. Tommy sat down on the couch in Hayley's room, facing her. After the attack on his house, and hearing about what happened at Kira's house, Tommy figured whoever was doing this was finding victims, or potential victims, through them contacting each other. He wasn't too concerned about Kimberly calling their former teammates since she was using Hayley's phone. Hopefully, if he was right, it wouldn't pop up on the evildoer's radar. But, if so many calls from this one house went out to people who happened to be former rangers came out, then suspicion may arise. So now came the question on how to reach the others. Tommy rationalized that email would be no good given the same reasoning of phone calls. If there was a chance that whoever was doing this could see their phone records, who's to say there wasn't a chance they could see emails? After some thought, Tommy finally looked up at Hayley.

"Could you send out encrypted emails?" He asked. Hayley smiled, a bit surprised she hadn't thought of that herself since she was the tech wizard of the two. She then gave him a look as if he had just asked her if she could to any simple everyday task like walking or making a wheatgrass smoothie.

"Of course I can," she said.

"Great," Tommy said. The two got up and made their way to Hayley's computer. He stood behind and watched as his friend opened up her email and encryption programs, ready to type of the message. "If we send out too many emails, that might raise a red flag," Tommy pointed out. Hayley nodded.

"So, resident techy of each team so someone can read the encryption and have them relay the message to their teammates?" She asked, smirking a bit. Tommy laughed.

"Yeah." Tommy stood back as Hayley went to work. She typed up a message to, in a sense, the technological representative of past teams before letting the encryption program code the message and sending it out. After that was done, Hayley turned in her chair and gave Tommy a smile. Her eyes shifted towards a figure moving behind Tommy. Tommy turned and saw Kimberly standing in the doorway looking somewhat stricken and shocked. "Kim?" He asked, going over to his wife. He put his hands on her shoulders to jar her out of her seemingly catatonic state. Kimberly blinked and looked at him. "What is it?" He asked.

"Tommy," she said softly, her tone sad. Given the events that had gone on so far, he could tell the nature of what she was about to say. The color drained from his face as he slowly gulped.

"Who?" He asked. Kimberly took a deep breath.

"Justin," she said softly. "I……I called Jason and Kat……..and…..they told me……." Tommy's hands slipped away from her shoulders as he let her words marinate in his mind. He stepped back a bit, sighing. "His fiancée was pregnant and they were going out to celebrate with his father," Kimberly said, giving him the story Katherine had given her. "They never made it to the restaurant……." Tommy leaned against a nearby wall, taking this all in. It was strange. Justin was an adult, a few years older than Kira, Conner and Trent even. He was going to get married and have a child. And yet, Tommy remembered him as he knew him---the little boy that joined the team after Rocky's accident. In his mind, the little boy he knew had died. Tommy closed his eyes and released a deep sigh. He felt Kimberly come over and lean into him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Tommy," he heard Hayley say. "I'm so sorry," she said. Tommy opened his eyes and looked at the two women around him.

"Let's just hope the email gets to everyone else in time," he said gravely.

---

July, 2014. Blue Bay Harbor, California

Cameron Watanabe shuffled from his kitchen to his den carrying a mug of black coffee. He grunted and groaned a bit as his toe collided with one of the many boxes cluttering the way. It had been a few weeks since he moved into his new house in Blue Bay Harbor in preparation to his upcoming wedding. Since Hayley was still settling some business with selling her juice bar, he had moved in first to get the new house settled a bit before she moved to Blue Bay. Originally, he had planned on getting his things unpacked right away to have a clutter free space for some time before it was once again cluttered with her boxes. Unfortunately, the help he had expected he'd have, his cousins and friends, hadn't exactly come through and that had led to his procrastination. Cam sighed as he made a note to navigate himself around the boxes more carefully. Within minutes he was sitting in front of his computer, firing it up for the day. He took a sip of his coffee as he waited for his computer to connect to the internet. After the connection was complete, he set his mug down on the desk and went about opening his email application. A smile came on his face at the sign of Hayley's email address among the list of new emails. He figured it would be something related to their impending nuptials like reminding him of his tuxedo fitting or telling him to tell Hunter, Blake, Shane and Dustin that yes, their cummerbunds all have to match. He was a little confused that their was no subject line but shrugged it off as he clicked it open. His confusion increased ten fold when he saw that instead of a standard email like he had expected, his eyes were met with a long clump of symbols.

"Encryption?" He asked himself, his mind drawing a connection to the familiar symbols. "What in the world?" A part of him grew worried, and then a part of him thought it was simply Hayley trying to play around with him. If it was in fact his fiancé playing, she had definitely succeeded in catching his interest. If in the end it did turn out to be something about the wedding, he was going to have to have himself a nice little laugh. With that thought in mind, he opened his own encryption program and went about decrypting the message. He took another sip of his coffee as the program ran through his email, slowly decrypting the message. After a few minutes, the program finished going through the email and he leaned forward, readying himself to read the email as he took another sip of coffee. What he saw nearly made him spit out his coffee. "Oh my god," he whispered, his eyes widening with each line. The email had nothing to do with the wedding. The email was a call to all former rangers. He saw that the email had been sent to him and other people, he assumed one member to each of the other teams. In the email, Hayley was giving the news about something or someone seemingly targeting and killing off former rangers. There had already been some loses so far. Cam closed his eyes, remembering the phone call he received the night before from Hayley telling him about Ethan's death. Cam had interacted with the younger tech genius only a small number of times but he felt a connection to him nonetheless. He was a fellow computer favoring ranger, and therefore was like kin to him. Cam took a deep breath as he continued reading the email.

The email stated that all rangers were to report to the NASADA base in Angel Grove, California as soon as possible with any dependants that could be put in danger in their absence, i.e. non-ranger spouses or children. They could not tell any other family or friends where they will be going and could not notify work or school. There was no telling how information was getting to the culprit behind all these things and it was best if things were kept quiet. They all had to travel light, only bringing truly essential items. The e-mail also informed that the former rangers should arrive within the next three days and give word on their impending arrival.

At first glance, the need for R.S.V.P seemed a bit odd, but Cam realized the subtext of the request: Let us know that you're still alive.

The email continued stating that this was not a joke or a drill of ranger readiness. This new threat was very real and everyone needed to get to the aforementioned location as soon as humanly possible.

As soon as Cam finished reading the email, he went to go to the phone to call in his friends when the phone rang, making him jump at bit. He picked up the phone from the cradle and placed it to his ear.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Cam?" Came the deeply relieved voice of his bride to be. Cam took a deep breath, smiling a bit at the sound of Hayley's voice after reading the email.

"Yeah," was all he could think to say in response.

"I just….wanted to call and make sure….." She began, her voice trailing off.

"I'm okay," he assured her. "I read your email, I was about to get in touch with the others." He paused. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Hayley said. Though Hayley was not a past ranger, Cam wondered if this threat didn't expand to those who were associated with their respected teams. Was Hayley in danger because she worked with the Dino Thunder rangers? Cam was coaxed out of his thoughts as Hayley told him about what had happened in the Oliver household the night before and the death of another member of the Power Ranger family. After a few more minutes, the couple bid their farewells since Hayley had to organize things with Tommy pertaining to the gathering at NASADA and Cam needed to reach his teammates.

---

July, 2014. Reefside, California

Kimberly sat in Hayley's living room watching her daughters as the two girls sat on the floor in front of her watching TV. It had been a few hours since Tommy had gone to the airport and returned with Trent, Kendra and Elise. Upon their arrival, Kendra took Elise up to one of the bedrooms while Trent was drawn to Hayley's den for a conference with Tommy and Hayley.

Footsteps on the stairs caught Kimberly's attention as she looked over to see Kendra coming down with a fresh from nap Elise in her arms. Kimberly gave the girl a smile as Kendra came and sat beside her.

"Hi," Kendra muttered to Kimberly.

"Hi," Kimberly responded. She watched as Kendra absentmindedly bounced Elise on her knee, stroking the girl's hair. "Something on your mind?" Kimberly asked. Kendra looked at the older woman and bit her lip.

"It's nothing," she said. "I just…..it's all very strange. I just found out that not only was my husband a power ranger, but we have to go into hiding on another planet. Just trying my best to wrap my mind around it," she said, giving a rueful smile. Kimberly gave the girl a sad smile and put a hand on her shoulder, looking down at Elise who simply sat in her mother's arms contently sucking on three of her fingers.

The next few days went on like a blur of ringing phones and planning. It seemed like every hour, on the hour, there was notification from a former ranger confirming that they had received the news and were on their way. By the morning of the third day, the last call came from Dana Greyson of the Lightspeed Rescue team informing them that she and her son Carter Jr. would be arriving with the Rawlings—Joel, Angela and their daughter Lynette—while her husband Carter would be arriving with her brother Ryan Mitchell. Minutes after the call, Hayley, the Olivers and the Mercers were on their way to Angel Grove. The night before, Trent had called Anton and Elsa, telling them it would be best if they were at NASADA as well since both of them had a heavy connection to the Dino Thunder team. They had both responded that they would meet them there the following day.

The group took two cars to Angel Grove—Hayley, Kimberly, Allison and Courtney in Hayley's car and Tommy and the Mercers in Tommy's car, a sedan he had traded in for his Jeep after he and Kimberly started their little family. They were able to use one of the old car seats from the girls for Elise during the drive. Both cars were quiet except from the general chatter or cooing of their younger occupants during the three hour trip to Angel Grove. Upon arriving to the NASADA base, they saw that some people had already arrived---Cam and his father as well as Anton and Elsa. Once Hayley had parked her car, she practically leapt over to her fiancé and father in law to be, the trio embraced each other as Trent, Kendra and Elise went over to Anton and Elsa. Elise cooed and stretched her arms out to her grandfather who took her in his arms with a wide smile. Tommy looked at Cam and his father.

"Has anyone else arrived?" He questioned. Cam shook his head.

"We just got here about ten minutes ago," Elsa chimed in. Kanoi nodded.

"And we arrived a few minutes prior to their arrival," he said. Tommy frowned, growing worried. Kimberly saw the concern on Tommy's face and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"They'll be here," she assured him. Tommy looked at her and tried to let her words lift his spirits. The group turned as the sound of approaching cars filled the air. They saw a caravan of three cars coming closer, parking near where Tommy and Hayley had left their cars. The group stood and watched as the occupants of the car came out. Tommy felt himself let out a huge sigh of relief as he saw Jason Scott, Katherine Hillard-Scott and their eight year old son, James come out of one car. As the trio made their way closer to the group, the car beside them opened its doors to reveal Zack Taylor come out of the driver's side. He opened one of the back doors and let his five year old daughter Chiara hop out before going to the passenger side of the car and opening the door before helping his six month pregnant wife, Angela Taylor out the car. Zack's head snapped up in alarm as he saw Chiara run away from the car but he relaxed a bit when he saw she was simply running to James, grabbing the older boy's hand. The last car parked beside the Taylors' vehicle as Rocky and Aisha DeSantos came out. Their back doors opened as their nine year old son Nathan came out one side and their seven year old daughter Christine came out the other. Christine tightly held the hand of a third occupant who turned out to be Shawna Park, Adam and Tanya's seven year old daughter. The newcomers approached the others, the children going off together as Courtney ran over to Christine and Shawna while Allison tried to toddle over to Chiara. Kimberly went to stop the younger of her two daughters when Kendra stopped her. She took Elise back from Anton before taking Allison's hand and leading her over to the other children, deciding to be the unofficial wrangler of the children as the grownups met up.

"Well, this place is familiar," Jason said, trying to make a lighthearted joke as the group finally got together. Tommy gave a small chuckle as the two brothers in all but blood clasped hands and embraced in a small hug.

"Hey, girl," Aisha said softly as she grabbed Kimberly in a tight hug. The others watched as the surviving members of the original ranger team plus Zack's wife hugged each other. Jason, Kimberly and Tommy each placed affectionate hands on the pregnant woman's belly. Angela laughed softly, joking that if one more person put a hand on her protruding stomach, they'd have hell to pay.

The rumblings of another vehicle followed the happy reunion. As the car slowed to a stop, Marah and Dustin Brooks, along with their four year old twins Mia and Patrick, climbed out of the car, followed quickly by Shane and Kapri Clarke. Marah figured that since all the other children were off to the side with Kendra, it was where Mia and Patrick should go for now. Kapri came over and helped her sister take the twins over to the small group before greeting Elise, whom they had met a few times before through their husbands' staying in touch with one another. After the children had been deposited, the sisters joined their husbands as they greeted the others. The greeting, like the ones before it was short lived as another vehicle rolled onto the NASADA property. The door swung open and Wes stepped out of the back and Taylor Meyers out of the front. On the driver's side, Eric hopped out. Eric went over and put an arm around his five month pregnant wife as the trio made their way to the group, gravitating more towards Tommy, Jason, Kimberly and Katherine since Wes and Eric knew the men from the red ranger mission and the older couples had been guests at Taylor and Eric's wedding a few years ago. Tommy took it upon himself to introduce the Silver Guardians and Taylor to the group.

"Well, it's nice to know I'm not the only whale here," Angela joked to Taylor. The others laughed.

"Don't worry, there's at least one more of us," Taylor responded in similar fashion. "Wait till you see Alyssa."

"Where's the rookie, anyway?" Jason joked, wondering why Cole and Alyssa hadn't arrived with the Meyers and Wes.

"Cole and Alyssa are coming with Kendall, Danny's wife," Wes informed.

"Is something wrong with Danny?" Tommy asked. Eric shook his head.

"Not at all, he's just getting Max. Those two should be here soon," he said. As if on cue, Kendall's black mini-van rolled up and parked next to Eric's. The trio slowly climbed out and started towards the large group assembled. Alyssa held onto Cole's arm as she slowly waddled along. Once the three reached the others, Jason went over and clapped the Wild Force red ranger on the shoulder.

"Well, looks like rookie's been busy," he joked. Cole chuckled as the two shook hands before more introductions went around before Alyssa drifted towards Taylor and Angela, the trio of pregnant women forming camaraderie.

"So, how far along are you? Six months?" Angela asked, noting the girl's belly that looked much like her own.

"I wish," Alyssa playfully grumbled. "No, I'm just four months," she sighed, placing a hand on her stomach. Taylor smiled at her friend before looking at Angela and mouthed the word 'twins'. Angela's mouth dropped open slightly.

"Jeez girl, I can barely manage being pregnant with one... Let alone two!" The others laughed as Marah went over and put a hand on Alyssa's shoulder, giving her an 'I can relate' sort of look. Kendall smiled at the group before turning towards the parking lot.

"Has anyone heard from Danny and Max?" She wondered aloud.

"No," Wes said. "But they had a longer trip than you guys. I wouldn't worry. They'll be here soon," he assured her. Kendall sighed and looked away, smiling at Wes and nodding. As the group began to talk, she drifted over to Kendra and the group of children. She figured it'd be easier to relate to her fellow power ranger wife. Angela Taylor also applied to that group but she seemed to have found a place with her former classmates and fellow women with child. Kendall looked up as she saw another car coming, but bore a crestfallen look when she saw that it wasn't Danny's car. Kendra put a hand on her new friend's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

The newest car parked beside Kendall's car as Carlos climbed out of the driver's side door and T.J. climbed out of the passenger side. One of the backdoors opened as Cassie climbed out and bent into the car to unhook her and T.J's two year old son, Evan from the car seat and carrying him from the car. Once the Johnsons deposited Evan with the other children, the group came over to the other former rangers. Cassie reached for Katherine as the two embraced in a hug. When Katherine had been a part of the Turbo team, she had taken Justin under her wing as a little brother and once she left, Cassie took over the role. The news of Justin's demise had hit the two former pink rangers especially hard. Katherine stroked Cassie's hair as they mourned their "adopted" brother. Once the girls let go of each other, the group stood and awaited the arrival of the rest of former rangers. As they waited, the group seemed to break up into their individual teams as Wes, Eric, Taylor, Alyssa and Cole asked each other if anyone had heard from Merrick. No one had, not that it was expected since his disappearance two years before. They had been worried about the Lunar Wolf ranger for some time when he first went up missing but within months they had all found out that he had gone to the Animarium, unable to be apart from Princess Shayla longer. The ninja ranger group stood together as Kapri and Marah gushed with Hayley about the upcoming wedding while they tried not to worry about the fact that the two Bradley families had yet to arrive. The others simply stood by and watched, waiting to see who would be the next to arrive.

"They're here!" Marah exclaimed with a relieved sigh as the group saw two cars driving up to the lot. The ninja rangers instantly recognize the cars as Tori's blue sedan and Hunter's red SVU. The cars parked, followed by Hunter and his wife Kelly coming out of the red car, which was followed by Blake and Tori coming out of their car before letting out their children, five year old Hannah and three year old Blake Jr. Hannah and B.J. were left with the ever growing group of children before the remaining members of the ninja team made their way to the others. The Ninja group greeted each other as the introductions were started. Before the introductions could be finished, two more cars arrived as Kelsey and Chad joined the group. Over by the group of children, Kendall nervously twisted her wedding ring on her finger, her worry for Danny and Max increasing with each passing moment. A few minutes later, a large SVU arrived. Kendall stood, smiling expectantly as she expected Danny and Max to hop out. Her smile faded when she saw the man who came out the car was neither her husband nor dear friend.

Joel Rawlings climbed out of the car as his wife Angela followed suit from the passenger side. In the back, their 12 year old daughter came out the car and held it open to carry out three year old Carter Jr. as Dana got out the other side. She went to take her son back from Lynette when Lynette simply smiled and told the older woman she'd take the boy over to the kids. Dana smiled and nodded as she followed Lynette's parents over to the group. She frowned at the absence of Carter and Ryan. Angela Rawlings saw Dana's frown and slowed down to walk with the blonde pediatrician, linking their arms as she gave Dana's a comforting squeeze. The former rangers and their various families stood in wait for the last four members to arrive, each member growing more restless and worried with each passing moment. As time passed, the groups of adults and children merged into one as the children joined their respective parents, forming groups as the families sat together. Kimberly watched as the two Mercer families sat together, Trent slowly bouncing Elise on his knee. She looked over and saw Tommy standing alone, watching the parking lot. Kimberly sighed as she stood up, asking Elsa to keep an eye on Courtney and Allison before joining her husband.

"Tommy?" She asked, drawing his attention from the parking lot. The now setting sun giving him a warm glow. She smiled and gently took his hand. "I know you wanted to wait until everyone's here, but the others are getting restless. Maybe it's time you let everyone in on the big plan." As much as she didn't like the plan Tommy had come up with along with Hayley and Trent, she knew better than to try and sway him. She had made her peace with this plan, though seeing the anxious looks on everyone's, especially Kendall and Dana's, faces was getting to her.

Tommy sighed and rubbed his face before nodding. Squeezing his love's hand, he went back to address the group. He asked that everyone join him inside the NASADA base. The numerous parents in the group were grateful to get inside, not wanting their children to start feeling the cold of the impending night. Kendall and Dana seemed to fall into step together as Dana carried C.J. and the group made their way indoors. Tommy almost smirked at the large collective gasp that arose behind him as everyone saw the five spacecrafts that greeted them in the large empty interior of the base. Behind him, he could hear the older children exclaiming things like "wow!" and "cool!". Once everyone was inside, Tommy found a spot in front of everyone as he began to address the large group.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why you've all been brought here," he began, having a brief moment of deja-vu as he thought about how similar this was to when he addressed his fellow red rangers before the mission against the remaining generals of the Machine Empire. Tommy shook his head a bit before telling the others about what had been going on. He saw his friends and other former rangers grow worried as they learned about this mysterious threat. He even saw some of them gripping their children and or spouses even tighter.

"So, what's the plan?" Zack asked. He'd known Tommy long enough to know that the forever leader quality in Tommy prevented him from ever not having a plan of action. "Do we fight?" He asked. He looked around at the group of former rangers and gave a confident smile. "Whoever is doing this, we can take 'em." Angela Taylor gave her husband a wary look. She hadn't been that surprised or upset when she learned he and his friends had fought evil beings in their teen years, but things were different now. If this new evil was capable of killing off other former rangers, what would stop it from taking her husband? He had a family now. He surely couldn't think now was the time to be a superhero again.

"No, Zack," Tommy said. He took a deep breath, preparing to tell them all the next, and possibly hardest, part. He knew the idea of hiding would not go well with them, but it had to be done. His eyes swept the crowd, his eyes falling on each former ranger. "I know, as past rangers, you all are capable and ready, not to mention willing, to go up against any threat that comes up against the earth. Especially if that threat hurts members of our ranger family. But you can't fight this." His last words were met with a sea of incredulous exclamations. "You all have families to think about. People who would be affected if something happened, or even worse, could be put in danger."

"So, what are you saying?" Blake asked. "What do we do?"

"Go into hiding," he said.

"Hiding?!" He heard from the crowd in a loud outraged cry.

"Tommy, you can't be serious!" Jason said. Tommy shook his head.

"I am serious, bro," he said. He cast his eyes to the rest of the crowd. "Whoever….whatever….is doing this…..We don't know how they've found those who've already been taken from us. All that can be known is Earth is not safe place for former rangers anymore." With that said, he lifted his arm, gesturing to the spacecrafts. The room grew quiet as they all looked at him with wide eyes. He went on to tell the group that they would all go into hiding on a different planet. He and Trent would stay and reunite with Conner and Kira to figure out a way to defeat this threat so that everyone could return home.

The rangers who'd worked with Tommy and even those who lived their ranger lives with Tommy as an example of what a ranger was knew better than to try and argue with this plan. They also knew that no part of them envied the position Tommy and Trent would be in, being apart from their families. After Tommy spoke, Jason looked around and took a step forward as the self proclaimed representative from the group.

"Well, bro," he said, "I'm sure I can speak for everyone else when I say this plan…….sucks," he said. Tommy went to reply but Jason held up a hand to stop him. "But you're right," he said. Tommy gave his friend a small smile as the two friends clasped hands and hugged. "Just so you know, you're going to pay for not including me in this," he joked to his friend in a whisper. Tommy laughed as they let go of one another.

"So, where are we all going?" Hunter asked. Trent stepped forward and stood beside Tommy, addressing the crowd.

"We've split you all into your respective teams," he began, glancing over to Wes and Eric. "We put you two with the Wild Force team," he said. Wes and Eric nodded. Eric was glad to hear he wouldn't be separated from his wife. "Each ship has had the coordinates of a planet put into the autopilot, so you should all be able to get to your destinations safely."

"Jason, Kat, Zack, Kimberly, Rocky and Aisha, Billy is waiting for all of you on Aquitar," Tommy stated, pointing to one of the space crafts.

"Cassie, T.J. and Carlos," Trent said, addressing the three members from the space team. "Ashley, Andros, Zhane and Karone are expecting you on KO-35." Cassie couldn't help smile a bit at the thought, even with the given situation, of seeing Ashley. She hadn't seen her best friend since she joined Andros, Karone and Zhane when they returned to KO-35 a little over ten years ago. "The Time and Wild Force teams will be going to Edenoi," Trent continued.

"Our friends from the Galaxy team will be expecting you guys from Lightspeed on Mirnioi," Tommy added on. "And lastly, the Ninja team, you guys will be going to Inquiris." The rangers and their respective families each took in what they have just learned. Some rangers, much like Cassie, were looking forward to seeing old and distant friends. After some minutes, Alyssa looked at Tommy.

"Will the children be all right in these different atmospheres?" She asked. "And what about those of us who are pregnant?"

"Each of these planets are perfectly safe for everyone," Tommy assured them all. "And they are also each equipped with medical stations." Tommy went to say more when movement by the door caught his eye.

"Daddy!" Carter Jr. exclaimed from Dana's arms. Everyone turned to see Carter stumble into the base, collapsing to his knees. C.J. quickly squirmed out of Dana's arms and ran to his father.

"Carter!" Dana gasped as she ran to him, Joel, Angela Rawlings, Chad and Kelsey at her heels. C.J. reached Carter first but Dana grabbed the little boy before he could get to close. Kelsey took hold of him as Dana got close to Carter. He had several bleeding cuts on his arms and legs and his face looked incredibly beat up. "Oh god, Carter, what happened?" She asked. Carter leaned into Dana's embrace, to weak to hold himself up.

"I'm so sorry," He sobbed out. "Dana, I'm so sorry." Dana looked at him. His words, and the fact that Ryan wasn't with him told her exactly what had happened.

"No……." Dana murmured, getting up to her feet. Carter looked at her as she took a shaky step back. "No…….No…….Not Ryan," she said as tears came to her eyes. Her knees trembled. Chad quickly came up to her, catching her as her knees buckled. By this time, Wes and Eric came over and helped Carter to his feet. They carried him over to a row of crates that served as a makeshift medical table as Angela Rawlings looked at Carter's wounds.

"What happened?" Tommy asked. Carter closed his eyes, as Angela examined his wounds. Behind them, Lynette found a medical kit sitting against one of the walls in the base and brought it to her mother. Angela used her daughter as her assistant, quietly telling the girl to hand her items as she slowly worked on Carter.

"We were attacked," Carter informed. "There were these………things……..white things………they had these spikes on their…..arms—Agh," he yelped a bit in pain as Angela sprayed antiseptic spray on the wounds on his right arm.

"Sorry," Angela said gently. Carter looked down.

"We got run off the road. We tried to fight them and get away but……they were too strong."

"What happened to Ryan?" Dana asked in a trembling voice. "What happened to my brother?" Carter looked at her, more tears coming to his eyes.

"We were able to hide in…..in a ditch for a little bit….to regroup," he said. "Ryan came up with the idea to distract them while I ran the other way and he'd catch up to me." Tears slid down his cheeks as he remembered Ryan's final words. _Take care of my sister, Carter. _Carter shivered a bit as the tone Ryan had had. It was if he knew what would happen. Which only made Carter wonder why Ryan insisted on being the decoy even after Carter insisted their roles be reversed. He wanted you to get back to Dana and C.J. his mind said to him. "I…….I saw them….." Carter went on. He shifted a bit as Angela finished dressing the wounds on his arms and legs and was now tending to the cut above his eye. "Those things….grabbed him…and……and……" He couldn't bring himself to finish as a choked out sob came from his mouth. Dana shook Chad away as she made her way to Carter's side, pushing Angela away as she wrapped her arms around Carter's shoulders. Angela put a hand on Lynette's shoulder and pulled the girl with her as she made her way back to Joel. Kelsey, with C.J. in tow, went over to the Rowlings family along with Chad. They watched as Carter and Dana held each other, crying. The rest of the Lightspeed family had tears in their own eyes, Ryan's death hanging in the air. "They stabbed him," Carter wailed softly in Dana's shoulder. "I tried to get to him before….but I was too late….Dana, I'm sor-"

"Shhh," Dana said, stroking his hair. She was experiencing mixed emotions. On one hand she was upset that her brother was dead, but she had to admit that she was happy to see Carter had survived. A part of her was angry that Carter had let Ryan die, but a rational part of her mind told her that there wasn't much he could've done. If he had done more, he could've met the same fate as Ryan. Behind them, C.J. squirmed in Kelsey's grasp. He was too young to understand what was going on, but he saw that his mommy and daddy were sad and he wanted to be with them. He finally got out of Kelsey's grasp and totted towards Carter and Dana. Kelsey tried to stop him but Chad held her back. The Greyson family, as a whole, needed to be together. C.J. came to a stop by the crates were Carter sat. His small arms went around his father's leg. Carter flinched a bit at the pressure on the bruises on his leg and pulled away from Dana. He looked down to see his son staring up at him. He went to pick him up but his wounds wouldn't let him move much. Dana tucked down and lifted C.J. up as she sat beside Carter on the crates with their son on her lap. Carter put his arms around Dana and C.J. as the trio melded together. Kendall watched the Lightspeed rangers, her anxiety now going to all out terror at the fact that Danny and Max had yet to arrive. An hour went by as everyone let the recent death touch their minds. The rangers who had never met Ryan were still affected by the loss of another member in the ranger family. Their hearts went out to Carter, who had to bare witness to the death of his brother in law; to Dana who had lost her brother; and to C.J. who would grow without the presence of his uncle.

Aisha saw Shawna standing in a corner with her head down. The former yellow ranger sighed. The night Adam and Tanya were killed, Shawna had been spending the night at the DeSantos household, having a sleepover with Christine. Aisha didn't want to think what would have happened to her goddaughter had she been in the house.

"You alright?" Came a voice as Kimberly came to stand beside Aisha. Aisha looked at Kimberly. Kimberly put an arm around her shoulders and Aisha gratefully leaned into the embrace.

"I don't know," she said. She watched as Rocky came over to Shawna and sat down on the floor beside her. He pulled the sullen child down on his lap and tried to raise her spirits.

"How is she doing?" Kimberly asked, referring to Shawna. Aisha heaved a sad sigh.

"She's sad," Aisha replied. "Her mom and dad are gone," she closed her eyes. "God, what would've happened if Christine hadn't begged us to have a sleepover with Shawna that night?" She muttered. Kimberly gave her friend a squeeze, encouraging her not to think of it. Aisha shut her eyes as tears formed beneath her eyelids.

"Adam, Rocky and I were inseparable since practically diapers. And after Tanya came back to Africa after she and Adam left the team, we got really close. I just……..I can't believe they're gone." Her shoulders shook a bit beneath Kimberly's embrace. "Ever since this happened……I can't help but think………what's going to happen to Nathan and Christine…..and Shawna……if something happens to me and Rocky?" Kimberly stepped back and made Aisha turn to face her.

"They'll be taken care of," Kimberly swore to her. "You have Tommy and me and Jason and Kat," she said, wiping at her friend's tears. Aisha nodded, knowing she was right. Kimberly smiled at Aisha. "But that doesn't matter," she said, drawing Aisha into a hug. "Because nothing's going to happen to you or Rocky, do you understand?"

As Kimberly comforted Aisha, the other rangers had all found places to sit together, waiting for Danny and Max to arrive. Trent, Kendra and Elise had found a place to sit against a wall. Trent held Elise on his knee. He wanted to hold her as much as he could before being separated from her. He'd never spent a night away from Kendra since their wedding and the couple had just recently started going through the process of leaving their daughter with a babysitter for a few hours once a week so the couple could have a romantic dinner together. He'd never been away from his little girl aside from those nights and when he'd go to work every day. Elise nuzzled her dark hair covered head against her father's chest. The act nearly melted all his resolve and he was tempted to tell Tommy he'd be going with Kendra and Elise.

"You'll be with Kimberly, my dad and Elsa and the others on Aquitar," he said to Kendra. Kendra reached over and held one of Elise's small hands in hers. "You'll be okay," he said.

"Trent," Kendra said softly. Trent looked up from where his eyes had been focused on Elise's head and looked at his wife. "It's okay," she said, as if reading his mind. From observing Kimberly, Kendra had come to the realization that trying to fight the husband's need to stay and fight was a futile fight. As much as she wanted to demand he come with them to Aquitar, it would be a waste of time. She'd rather spend the last few moments like this, not arguing.

Suddenly, a blood curdling scream erupted from around them all, destroying the quiet that had enveloped the room. Everyone turned to see Alyssa staring at the entrance with wide eyes, her shaking hands covering her mouth as another scream threatened to come out. There, at the entrance, stood Danny. He looked beaten up and broken, but that wasn't where everyone's eyes were riveted to. No. Everyone's eyes were on what, or rather, who, Danny had in his arms. In Danny's arm lay the bloody mass that had once been Max.

Max's body looked as if it had been through hell and back. His left leg was bent at a 90 degree angle away from the rest of his body, and his right was missing completely. There were massive gaping wounds on both his chest and stomach. Once Danny was closer to the group, his knees gave way and Max's body crashed awkwardly to the ground, his head tilted to the side, revealing that his throat had been slit wide open, his vocal cords visible.

"Oh god!" Taylor sobbed out. Alyssa, who was closest to the body, simply stared at the heap by her feet. Cole grabbed his wife and turned her away from Max, forcing her head into his shoulder.

"Don't look, don't look," he whispered to her. Nathan grabbed his sister and kept her from seeing the gruesome scene as Rocky did the same with Shawna and many other parents did to their respective children.

"No!" Danny wailed through the shocked silence as he scrambled to take hold of Max again. He grabbed his dead friend and held the body to his chest, the blood further staining the former black ranger's clothes. Kendall went to run to her husband but felt someone grab her arm and pull her back. She turned to see Wes had pulled her back and was running to Danny. She saw Eric was pulling Taylor back against one of the walls as the girl hunched over, ready to throw up. Wes fell to his knees as he reached Danny.

"Danny," he said, speaking softly to his larger friend. "Danny, what happened?" He had to force down the bile that was rising in his throat at the sight of Max's mangled body. Danny was in shock and Wes knew someone had to get through to him. Danny shook his head with his eyes squeezed shut as frantic sobs broke out of his mouth. He held onto Max even tighter. Wes went to try and pry Danny's arms off of Max.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Danny screamed in panic. He didn't want anyone to take Max from him. Wes stared at Danny helplessly, unsure what to do. Tommy, who had been making sure Courtney and Allison didn't see he body, gently eased the girls in Jason and Kat's direction before going over to Wes and Danny. He crouched down at the other side of Danny.

"Danny," he spoke in an even tone. "Danny, look at me." Danny slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the veteran ranger. "You have to let him go," he said. Danny shook his head.

"No!" He said. "I can't leave him!"

"He'll be right here," Tommy spoke. "Just put him down, Danny."

"I was supposed to look out for him," Danny sobbed. "I couldn't……..I couldn't protect him." Tommy put a hand on Danny's shoulder.

"You did everything you could," Tommy said. Danny's arms loosened and Max's body drifted limply to the floor. Danny stared down at the body, shaking his head.

"Danny," a voice spoke. Danny's head snapped up to see Kendall standing before him and Max's body. Danny's chin trembled as he looked down, ashamed. Kendall moved to his side, sitting next to Wes and pulled Danny into her arms.

"I couldn't save him….." Danny sobbed. He crumbled into his wife's embrace; his head pressing against her stomach as Kendall slowly rocked him.

"Shhhh," Kendall said, soothing him like a mother would sooth a child. Her hands stroked his face. "What happened, Danny?" She said softly. Danny buried his face in the fabric of Kendall's shirt.

"We saw these white……..things…….." Danny began. Carter's breath hitched at hearing Danny had faced the things he had Ryan had faced. "We got out of the car and tried to run the rest of the way here………we were so close………..Some of those things…….surrounded me and I was fighting them off. I told Max to keep going…….But…..there was this……guy………At first I thought maybe we'd be safe…………He looked like a ranger……" Tommy's blood ran cold at the sound of that. "He started attacking Max……and…….I couldn't get to him……"

"_Danny!" Max yelled. The two of them had been running away together when those beings in white fell on Danny, trying to slash at him with the spikes coming out of their arms. Danny fought them off, avoiding any injuries more serious than shallow slashes at his arms and stomach. _

"_Keep going!" Danny told his friend. Max went to run back and help his friend when a being in green appeared before him. Max's eyes widened a bit as he took a step back. He smiled a bit, seeing the thing before him was a ranger._

"_Oh man, am I glad to see-" he was cut off by the being kicking him in the stomach. Max fell on his back and stared up, shocked. "What the…"_

"_Why don't we let your friend have his fun?" the green enemy said, giving a low chuckle. Max looked over to see Danny trying his best to hold his own against the enemies in white. Two of the things were on the behemoth former ranger's back. Danny threw them off just as another went to kick him. Max rose to his feet and faced the man in green._

"_All right," Max said, raising his hands in a fighting stance. "I don't know who you are, but you're going to get your butt kicked!" He yelled as he ran at the man in green. He threw a bunch at his opponent, which was flawlessly blocked. Max felt a fist slam into his back, knocking him forward onto the ground._

"_Max!" Danny exclaimed as he fought off his opponents even harder, trying to get to his smaller friend. Max, his anger increased by the pain in his back, quickly rose up again. _

"_Now you're going to get it!" Max yelled. He ran at his enemy again, this time launching himself up into a flying kick. His foot was mere inches from hitting the man in green in the chest when he simply raised his foot into a roundhouse kick. His foot caught the side of Max's outstretched leg with such force that it sent Max barreling to the side of a nearby bolder, his foot hitting the solid wall of rock first as the rest of his body crumbled into the leg. A sickening snap filled the air, followed by a loud painful wail as Max fell to the ground. Through his own opponents, Danny saw Max lying on the ground, his leg bent, bloodied and broken. Max gasped and cried out at the pain going through his body. He closed his eyes and pushed himself back to a sitting position as his hands reached up and used the boulder as leverage to pull himself up using his remaining good leg. Danny watched as Max's broken leg lay limp at his side, the heel dragging on the ground as he stood, leaning against the boulder. Max's lip had been split open from the impact of the fall and there was now blood trickling from the center of his bottom lip._

"_Ah, still want some more, I see?" The green ranger said._

"_Go to hell," Max growled, spitting blood at the green ranger's direction. Max leaned against the boulder, looking over and catching Danny's gaze as he fought the things in white. Max smiled at his friend, winking at him through his pain. "Never give up, right?" He said. Max looked at the green ranger and pressed himself against the boulder as he went to kick him with his good leg. With lighting like speed, the ranger spun and slashed at the outstretched leg with his sword. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Max screamed as his now amputated leg fell and bounced on the ground. He fell against the boulder, his arms shaking as he tried to hold himself up._

"_Something tells me you should've given up," The green ranger sneered. _

"_You bastard!" Danny screamed. The white things were now holding him back more than fighting him as Danny tried to run at the green ranger. The air was filled with Max's pain filled screams and sobs. The green ranger laughed. He sheathed his sword and got closer to Max. "Stay away from him!" Danny bellowed. The green ranger got closer to Max, now standing a few inches from him. Danny watched as the green ranger took a dagger from the sheath attached to the hip opposite of the one that held his sword. Max stared defiantly at the ranger. "NO!" Danny screamed. In speed much like what he had used to cut off Max's leg, the green ranger buried the dagger in Max's gut. Max's breath hitched at the metal invasion in his body as blood poured out of his mouth. He flinched as the dagger was yanked out of his stomach and found a new home in his chest. As the dagger was pulled out of his chest, Max's arms gave way and he sank to the ground. "MAX!" Danny screamed. The green ranger stepped back and laughed, using the tip of his foot to turn Max over onto his stomach. Danny watched in wide eyed horror as the green ranger stood over Max in a straddle position with one foot on either side of Max's torso. The green ranger looked at Danny as he reached down and pulled Max's head up by his hair. Danny looked at Max. Tears filled his eyes at the sight. Max's eyes were only partly open as the former blue ranger inched closer and closer to death._

"_Say goodbye, ranger," The green ranger sneered. Danny wasn't sure if that was directed to Max or him, but that wondering was put on the backburner as he saw the green ranger's dagger slide across Max's exposed neck, leaving a deep cut in its wake. _

"_NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Danny sobbed, his knees buckling as he fell to the ground. The green ranger's laughter threw Danny into a rage. With renewed strength, Danny threw off the white creatures before running at the green ranger. Before Danny could reach him, the green ranger disappeared. Danny fell to his knees, his eyes scanning the desert before him. The white creatures had disappeared as well. Danny looked down at Max's body. He grabbed the shoulders, turning Max onto his back. He looked down at Max's partly open and vacant eyes. He raised a shaking hand to his friend's face and placed it over the eyes, pushing the lids close. He quickly grabbed the body in his arms and stood back up. He couldn't leave Max alone in the desert like this. He knew that. With a frantic look back to where their enemies had been, Danny turned and ran with Max's dead body securely clutched to his chest._

Danny sobbed into Kendall's stomach as he finished telling them all what happened. Everyone had tears in their eyes. The rangers, those who had known Max and those who hadn't, felt a sense of pride at the fallen ranger for fighting till the end and not giving up. Kendall lowered her head and planted a kiss on the side of Danny's head as she held him tighter. Like Dana, she mourned the loss of Max, someone who was like a brother to Danny and she had similar feelings towards once she got to knew him, but had a sense of relief that Danny had survived. Around the couple, Tommy motioned for Wes and Trent to help him carry the body over to the row of crates that Carter had now vacated. As the three men went to lift the body, Danny shot out of Kendall's embrace.

"Don't touch him!" He yelled. "I'm supposed to take care of him!" He went to grab Max's body away from them. Trent took Danny's hands in his to stop him.

"You've done a great job in taking care of him," Trent said softly. "Now let us take over," he coaxed gently. Danny looked at the body. "We'll take care of him," Trent assured him. Danny blinked and looked at the younger former ranger.

"You will?" He asked.

"We will," Tommy spoke up. Danny slowly nodded and let Trent and Wes carry the body to the crates as Tommy found a tarp. With Joel's help, the two unfurled the blue plastic tarp and carefully laid it on Max. Wes stepped forward and carefully tucked the tarp around Max as if he was tucking in a sleeping child. After Max was tended to enough to Wes satisfaction, he and the rest of the Wild Force team and Eric made their way to Danny and Kendall. Wes and Eric kneeled beside Danny and Kendall, giving what comfort they could give as Taylor and Alyssa, unable to get down to the ground in their common condition, held each other and cried. The others stood back and let the Wild and Time force teams comfort each other. As the sounds of their quiet sobs filled the air, Tommy and Trent watched from the body.

"We promised to take care of him," Trent said softly. Tommy looked at his once protégé and student. He squeezed the younger man's shoulder.

"We will," Tommy said. "We'll give him a burial worthy of a fallen ranger," Tommy promised. Carter, who stood not to far from the two, slowly limped to them.

"Tommy," he said. Tommy looked at the Lightspeed red ranger. "I………please……..find Ryan….." Tommy nodded, understanding what he meant. He wanted a burial for his brother in law.

"We'll find him," Tommy promised. Carter nodded, thanking them both. After some time, the rangers all mutually decided it was time to leave. With two attacks happening as the rangers were on their way to NASADA, Tommy worried that the evil beings had caught wind of the plan and there was no telling how long it'd be before they appeared at the base to pick them all off one by one. So, an hour after Danny had appeared with Max's body, the group prepared themselves to leave. The first ship to leave was going to be the smallest of them all, the ship to KO-35. Carlos, T.J. and Cassie with little Evan in her arms, bid their farewells to the others as they slowly embarked the ship. As the ship's door closed, Tommy touched a button on the nearby wall. Slowly, the ceiling above them opened up, leaving a large hole that would allow all the ships to leave. The ship powered up and the rangers stood back and watched as it slowly began to fly up. Within minutes, the ship had flown out of the top of the building and was gone. The next ship to leave was to be the ship to Inquiris. Blake held Hannah in his arms as Tori held B.J. and the couple said their goodbyes before getting in the ship. Hunter and Kelly followed suit. Kanoi and Cam went to the ship after them. Kanoi went into the ship as Cam stood at the door, waiting for Hayley to join them. He stepped aside as Shane and Kapri got on the ship, followed by Dustin and Marah with Mia and Patrick. Hayley walked over to Tommy and Trent. She hugged both of them tightly.

"Be careful," she whispered to them. Trent went over to his family once he and Hayley stopped hugging. Tommy and Hayley remained in their hug a little longer.

"Don't worry," he said. He pulled away from her and gave her a smile. "We'll be here when you get back, ready for your wedding." Hayley laughed and nodded slowly. She then went over to Kimberly, Courtney and Allison. The two girls hugged their 'auntie Hay' tightly before Kimberly and Hayley said their goodbyes. Hayley then went over to Cam. The couple held hands as they walked onto the ship, the door hissing shut behind them. The ship was gone within minutes. Next, the Lightspeed team said their goodbyes. Kelsey, Chad and Lynette entered the ship together as Joel and Angela took C.J. from Dana and Carter and carried the small boy with them. Dana and Carter slowly went to the ship. As the couple reached the door, Carter gave a last look to Tommy. Tommy gave him a nod, telling him they would find Ryan's body. With the Lightspeed team in the ship, the ship roared to life as it made its way to Mirinoi. Now, only two ships remained. The Wild and Time force times crowded around Max's body for a few minutes, giving their final goodbyes before reluctantly boarding the ship. Eric and Cole guided their pregnant wives on with them. It took both Kendall and Wes to pull Danny away from Max. Danny was too weak to fight and simply let them guide him. After some minutes, the ship to Edenoi was gone. Trent and Tommy knew it was now time to say goodbye to their loved ones. The original ranger team, with Angela, Kendra, Elsa, Anton, Trent and the children, all stood together. Tommy kneeled before his daughters who looked at him sadly. "You two be good for mommy, okay?" He said. The girls nodded with tears in their eyes.

"Daddy not coming with us?" Allison asked. Tommy shook his head.

"No, baby," he said. "Daddy has to stay here. But you guys and mommy will be back real soon." The girls glued themselves to their father, hugging him at the same time. Tommy wrapped his arms around the two girls and kissed their heads. After they let go of him, Kimberly put her hands on their shoulders. 

"Get on the ship with Mr. and Mrs. Mercer," she told them. "I want to say goodbye to daddy," the girls nodded. The girls went over to Anton and Elsa who held their hands as they boarded the ship. Tommy went to say goodbye to Kimberly but was cut off by Zack, Jason, Kat and Angela, Rocky, and Aisha grabbing him in hugs one after the other. After they had said their goodbyes to Tommy, they took their children onto the ship. Trent stood with Kendra and Elise. He held Elise in his arms, stroking his daughter's head.

"I'll see you soon," he told her before giving her to Kendra. Kendra looked at Trent as tears slid down her cheeks. "Don't cry," Trent pleaded. "You know I hate it when you cry." Kendra laughed softly. She stepped closer to him, Elise getting trapped between the bodies of her parents. Kendra pressed her face into Trent's chest as Trent's arms came around her and Elise.

"I love you," she said. Trent kissed her forehead.

"I love you too," he said. He lifted her face up and placed a deep lingering kiss on his wife's lips. Trent wished to stay there, kissing his wife forever, but he knew he couldn't. With tears in his eyes, he reluctantly ended the kiss. He ducked his head and placed a kiss on the top of Elise's head. "You have to go," he said. He didn't know how much more he could take. He felt Kendra nod against him. She slowly stepped away from him, hiking Elise in her arms before slowly turning and boarding the ship. Not too far from Trent, Kimberly and Tommy were in their goodbye kiss. Once the two parted, Kimberly put her arms around Tommy and buried her face in the side of his neck.

"Oh god, I hate this," she said through tears. Tommy held her around the waist.

"I know, Beautiful, I know," he said. The two pulled apart. Kimberly wiped at her tears with her fingertips. She held onto the front of Tommy's shirt, not wanting to leave him.

"That speech you made before, about everyone having to take care of their families," she began. "I…………I know you have to stay……..but….." She stopped, shaking her head. "No," she said. "I'm not going to beg you to come with us," she said. Tommy looked at her with sad eyes. "I'm not going to try and convince you that you shouldn't stay. I know this is where you have to be," she said. Tommy gently cupped her cheek in his hand as she took in a shuddering breath. "Just…just be here, okay?" She said, her wet doe eyes looking into his. "Be here when we get back, that's all I ask." Tommy could read the subtext in her eyes. _Don't die._ Tommy drew her to him again, planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

"I'll be here," he told her. They hugged again before Kimberly reluctantly let him go to make her way to the ship. Tommy ran his hand through his hair. "Tell Billy I said hi," he said. Kimberly smiled through her tears and nodded. She turned and got on the ship, the doors closing seconds after. Trent and Tommy watched as the ship slowly powered up. From two of the small side windows on the ship, they saw Kimberly, Kendra and the children looking out at them. Kendra and Kimberly placed their hands against the window, giving one last look to their husbands before the ship, like the others before it, was gone. Tommy and Trent slowly drew themselves into action, knowing they still had things to do.

"Come on," Tommy said. He gave Trent the keys to his car as he went over to where Max's body lay. He carefully wrapped the tarp tighter around the body before lifting the small man in his arms. Trent walked ahead of him and opened the back of the car. Tommy slowly and carefully laid Max's body along the backseat of the car. He then closed the door and took the keys back from Trent as they got into the front of the car and drove off to find Ryan's body like they had promised Carter.


	3. Touch

"Where do we look?" Trent asked Tommy as the older man drove away from the NASADA base. Tommy chanced a look at his companion. Trent looked completely broken yet forcing himself to remain strong. He sighed and looked out on the road.

"Carter and Ryan were coming from Mariner Bay. So….hopefully Ryan's somewhere on the road to there," Tommy said. Logically, seeking out Ryan's body wasn't the wisest thing. What if this monster in green ranger clothing was lying in wait to dispose of Trent and Tommy? As much as that logic made sense in Tommy's mind, he had made a promise. And even if Carter hadn't asked him to find Ryan, he would've done it anyway. Though he didn't personally know Ryan, aside from briefly meeting him at Carter and Dana's wedding, Ryan was a fellow ranger. No ranger's final resting place should be the side of some desert road. Tommy also felt a connection to Ryan. After he had learned of how Ryan had come to be a ranger, being misguided into evil's embrace, Tommy had to feel something. Tommy couldn't help but see the irony in the fact that Trent, another former evil ranger, was sitting there beside him as they drove along the night road.

"Dr. O, look," Trent said no more than twenty minutes onto the road. Tommy looked and saw the edge of the light beam emitted from the headlights fall across something that looked like the top of a blonde head. Tommy pulled forward slightly and then off to the side. He put the car into park but didn't shut the engine off. Tommy grabbed a flashlight he kept in his car for emergency as he and Trent got out. Tommy clicked on the light as the two walked over to the side of the road. There, in a small ditch, lay Ryan. The former Titanium ranger had cuts and bruises on his face, arms and legs, much like Carter had had, and several deep stab wounds all along his stomach and chest. Tommy noticed that Ryan had all his limps attached and his throat was not slit. Tommy mentally theorized that the white creatures, whatever they were, were not as brutal as the green ranger. From the stories they had heard from Carter and Danny, there was no question that the white creatures used the spikes on their arms to kill Ryan.

"We shouldn't stay here too long," Tommy said. He clipped the flashlight to his belt buckle as he and Trent carried Ryan's body towards the car. They carried Ryan to the back of the car and Trent, after maneuvering the upper half of Ryan so he was holding him with one arm, opened the door. The two men carefully slid Ryan in the backseat, his body lying next to the blue tarp that covered Max. After Ryan was put in the car, Trent shut the door and the two men got back in the front of the car.

"So, where are we taking them?" Trent asked as Tommy pulled away from the side of the road and drove a bit before doing a U-Turn.

"The place where it all started," Tommy replied.

----

After an hour of driving, Tommy stopped the car deep in the desert, right by large mountains or rock. Without a word, Tommy got out of the car. Trent followed him as Tommy went to the trunk of the car, opening up the hatch to reveal two shovels and two smaller, plastic play shovels.

"You always drive around with shovels in your car?" Trent asked, surprised.

"Kimberly got the girls and me to help out with this park restoration project she got involved with over at the Reefside botanical garden a few weeks ago," Tommy said as he took out the two real shovels. Trent nodded, understanding that the plastic shovels had been used by Courtney and Allison. "I never got around to taking them out," Tommy concluded. Tommy handed Trent one of the shovels before shutting the trunk. Trent observed the surrounding. He was surprised to see that the sun was beginning to rise in the horizon. Had so much time really passed?

"So, where are we?" Trent asked.

"Up there," Tommy said, pointing to the tops of the mountains "is where the original command center used to be," he said. It finally made sense to Trent. This was a fitting place for fallen rangers to rest. Tommy walked to the base of the mountains and began to dig. Trent went into action and joined in. With the sun rising bit by bit behind them, Tommy and Trent dug a deep hole. They set the shovels down and went back to the car, retrieving Ryan's body. They slowly carried Ryan's body and placed him in the makeshift grave before covering it up and repeating the process for Max, his grave not too far from Ryan's. Once they were finished, the sun was almost completely up; the two of them were tired and covered in dirt and sweat. Trent looked at the two graves and stood up, going to Tommy's car and opening the glove compartment. After some searching, he found a black permanent marker in the compartment. Going back to the graves, Tommy watched with a curious gaze as Trent took both of the shovels, writing something on each of them. He then picked them up and went to the graves, sticking one shovel in each grave. Tommy went over to see that Trent had made makeshift grave markers. Trent had written Ryan's name on one of the shovels and stuck it firmly in Ryan's grave. He had written Max's name on the other shovel and done the same for Max's grave. They stood stationary for a moment in silence, as a final goodbye before turning and heading back down the hill towards Tommy's car. Tommy started up the car and drove towards Reefside, back to his empty house, so he and Trent could get some rest before catching their flight to Texas.

----

Dallas, Texas

In the three days that Tommy had used to gather all the former rangers, Kira and Conner stayed in the James' house. It wasn't safe to go back to Kira's house for her things, leaving Kira to use Emily's clothes until she could get a chance to get some clothes of her own. Wearing Emily's clothes made Kira feel even sadder at the eerie feeling of wearing a dead friend's clothes, so much so that after the first day of wearing Emily's clothes she stayed in the white cotton pants and yellow tank top she had been wearing when Conner came and got her day in and day out.

Kira and Conner didn't speak much, both needing time to mourn the loss of Ethan and his family.

Conner spent the majority of his time downstairs working on stuff to try and find this evil ranger and what he wanted, while Kira worked on the bedrooms. She figured that they would be staying here and would need someplace to sleep. Thankfully, Ethan's house had more than enough bedrooms to go around. There were even two spares left over after she'd finished. Working on the rooms took a lot of time. More specifically, working on the now unoccupied rooms. Every time she picked up one of little Ryan's toys, she couldn't stop herself from curling up on the floor and crying for a good while. After this happening a few times, and the same occurring in the master bedroom as she saw the pictures and knick knacks that made up Ethan and Emily's room, she was finally able to box Ryan's toys and other belongings. She had to force herself to put the three year old's things in the attic of the house. She couldn't bring herself to disassemble Ryan's little bed and simply pushed it against a wall to make room as she rolled in a folded guest bed. After trying to bring herself to pack away Ethan and Emily's things, she decided to leave the room alone. She wasn't sure if anyone could bring themselves to use the room that had belonged to Ethan. Kira made herself at home in one of the two spare rooms, picking the room next to the one Conner called home. She wasn't totally sure what would become of Ethan and Emily's room, but she just couldn't handle it at the present time.

Soon, it came to be the day before Trent and Tommy's expected arrival. The morning found Conner to be in the same place he had been the other days—in the basement lab. He turned away from the computer to see Kira patting down the stairs with one red mug and one yellow.

"Hey," he greeted. Though they had been in the house together all this time, the distance they had kept from each other made Conner feel like he hadn't seen her in weeks. Kira gave him a weary smile and came over to him, handing him the red mug. Conner took a sip and found it to be coffee. Kira stood behind him, looking at the computer.

"Have you figured out anything?" Kira asked. Conner sighed and shook his head.

"I'm having a hard time figuring out all this computer stuff," he admitted. "So I'm pretty much looking for the proverbial needle in the cybernetic haystack." Kira placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze, telling him she was thinking the same thing he was: _I wish Ethan was here. _

"Come on," Kira said. Conner looked up at her as her hand left his shoulder and took hold of his hand.

"What?" Conner asked.

"You've been sequestered down here long enough, come upstairs," she said, gently pulling him to his feet.

"But-"

"Trent and Tommy will be here soon. They can help us figure something out. For now, just follow me." Conner decided not to fight her and let Kira lead him out of the lab, their cups of coffee in hand. The two spent the day in the living room, reminiscing about their teenage years and talking about their lives since then. They avoided the topic of Conner's search for this new evil, and therefore the talk of life since high school was mostly Kira telling Conner about the ups and downs she experienced in the music industry. The day flew away as the former red and yellow rangers remembered how good it was to talk to one another. They ate dinner together in the kitchen before talking some more. As the night went on, the conversation came to a slow stop as both ran out of things to talk about him.

"No one will blame you, you know." Conner looked up at Kira's words. He was awed by her ability to read him. He had taken the deaths on his shoulders, feeling that if he hadn't come to Dallas, the James family would still be alive. Kira could see right through him and knew these were his fears. Conner sighed and looked off to the distance.

"I just keep thinking that if I just stayed away…"

"It wasn't your fault," Kira stated firmly. She took hold of his hand. "And I'm glad you didn't stay in hiding. I'm glad Ethan was able to get through to your thick head and make you see that you don't need to be alone in this," she said with a smile. Conner chuckled softly.

"I have a thick head, eh?" He asked. Kira gave him a soft smile.

"Yeah, just a little." She replied. Conner smiled at her. He squeezed her hand.

"I'm glad you're here, Kira," he said honestly. Kira smiled and leaned in to him, giving him a hug. The two stayed in each other's arms for a while before realizing it was getting late. The two friends walked up the stairs, making their way to their rooms. Conner walked Kira to her door. "Goodnight, Kira," he said.

"Goodnight," she said. They hugged once more before Kira retreated to her room and Conner to his. A few hours later, Kira was startled out of her sleep by a soft meek wail. She sat up, looking around the room trying to figure out where the sound came from.

"No…." Came a voice. Kira realized it was coming from the other side of the wall her bed was up against, Conner's room. She heard soft moans and a soft thumping sound that she identified as the sound of Conner tossing and turning in bed. Kira threw her blankets off of her as she got out of bed and made her way to Conner's room. She walked in to find him in bed, which was pressed against the wall that he shared with Kira's room. His body was curled towards the wall as he rocked side to side, muttering in his sleep. Kira quietly walked to the bed and lay down next to him, pressing herself close to his back as one hand rubbing his arm as the other stroked his face from behind.

"Conner?" She said softly. "Come on, Conner, wake up." Conner continued to rock, still in the grasp of his nightmare. back….." She heard Conner mutter. Kira sighed and shook his shoulder.

"Conner," she said in his ear. "Conner, wake up." Conner turned on his back, making Kira almost fall on top of him. She kept her balance and remained next to him. "Conner!" Kira finally said, somewhat loudly, realizing that the delicate approach wasn't working. Conner flinched, his eyes snapping open in surprise. He looked at her, confusion in his eyes.

"Kira?" He questioned. Kira let out a small sigh.

"You were yelling in your sleep... I think you were having a nightmare." She told him. Conner blinked, still getting over the shock of waking up to seeing Kira's face mere inches from his. He sat up, making Kira do the same. "Are you okay?" She asked. Conner ran his fingers through his hair and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah," he said. He looked at her. "Did I wake you?" He asked. Kira smiled at him.

"Kind of," she admitted. She reached across him and tapped her knuckles against the wall. "Didn't know this wall was kind of thin."

"Sorry," Conner said. Kira sat back, placing a hand on his lap.

"It's okay," she said. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. Conner shook his head a bit.

"It was…….about the explosion," he said, leaving it at that. Kira decided not to push the issue. She put a hand on his back, rubbing small circles on it as she watched Conner visibly relax under her touch. Conner closed his eyes and leaned against her, letting her hand sooth him. Conner let out a small sigh before opening his eyes and looking at Kira. The light from the moon outside his window gave Kira a soft ethereal glow as she gazed at him, trying her best to comfort him. He reached up with one hand and placed it on her cheek, entwining his fingers in some loose hair that hung from her messy bun. As if in a trance, Kira simply followed Conner's lead has he slowly drew her face to his, capturing her lips in a kiss. The kiss was short; ending as soon as it had began, leaving the two staring at each other, their foreheads touching as they took stock of what just occurred.

"What are we doing?" Kira asked softly, her voice shaking a bit from the thrill of the brief contact. Conner, feeling the same way, was unsure how to answer her.

"Do you want to stop?" He asked. Kira lifted her head away from his. She hadn't expected this to go further, though she secretly wished it would, and was surprised to see Conner wanted more just as much as she did. She didn't speak as she simply shook her head. Conner shifted a bit and drew her back to him as their lips met once again. This time the contact lingered as their mouths opened and their tongues engaged in a slow dance together. Without realizing how it happened, Kira found herself lying on the bed, her back pressed on the sheets as Conner lay on top of her, kissing her as his hands traveled down her arms and stroked her sides. Kira moaned in his mouth as her hands found a home in his soft locks. Conner snaked one hand upwards and he tucked his hand under Kira's neck and lifted upwards slightly. Kira felt Conner gently massage her neck with his hand as his lips left hers and traveled down to the side of her neck, coming to a rest on her pulse point as he nipped and sucked at the soft flesh. Kira withered beneath him, one of her hands leaving his hair as it ran down his back until it was at the hem of his shirt. The hand traveled under the back of his red night shirt until it rested on the small of his bare back. Conner saw this contact as an invitation to return the favor as the hand that was at her side bunched up her yellow tank top, leaving the skin of her stomach visible as he placed his hand on her now bare side. Kira tilted her head, forcing Conner's lips to leave her neck and return to her lips as her legs came up and wrapped around his waist, their pelvises pushed together as they moved and withered against one another. The friction and the fact that the only thing separating their genitals was Conner's boxers and Kira's pajama bottoms only further aroused the pair, making them thrust against each other faster. The hand at Kira's side traveled upwards as the tips of Conner's fingers grazed the underside of Kira's breast, as if asking permission. Kira gasped and moaned beneath him, her hips bucking a bit. Conner saw this as the required green light from her. Kira threw her head back, tearing her lips from his, moaning as Conner's hand massaged her breast with one hand as the other hand slid from her neck and slid down to her shoulder, gently easing the strap from her tank top out of the way as his lips found a new home on her shoulder. He kissed her shoulder before returning to her neck, tasting the tender flesh yet again.

Conner let his hand travel from her shoulder down to her hip, his fingers dipping into the waistband of her bottoms, as if prolonging the inevitable. Kira moved her hand from his back and brought it between them, letting her hand slide into the opening in the front of his boxers. The second her fingers touched him, Conner's breath hitched as he buried his face in her neck. His hand dipped lower into her pajama bottoms, his whole hand now under the waistband and resting on her bare hip. His eyes drifted shut as Kira's hand explored the length of his stiff member. The hand on her breast stilled as he was completely preoccupied by the sensation going on below his waist. His eyes opened as he realized he was getting closer and closer to his own orgasm, thanks to Kira's hand.

"Wait," he breathed against her neck, speaking the first words since the two began their kissing and touching. He took his hand away from her hip and reached between their bodies, taking her hand by the wrist. He looked up to see Kira gazing at him with a questioning, yet lust filled gaze. He moved his head up and gave her a small kiss on her lips. "You keep doing that, and this will be over fairly quickly," he whispered against her lips. He sat up, taking his hands off of her and leaving her lying on her bed, staring up at him. He stared down at her, taking full stock of what the past fifteen minutes had done to her. Through the moonlight drifting into the room, he saw that her hair was much messier than before; her lips were slightly swollen from their intense kisses. One of the shoulder straps from her tank top was down to her arm and the hem was bunched up so it fell right under her breasts. Kira felt herself grow even more engrossed in the moment as she watched Conner's eyes drink her in. She sat up as well, her hands going to the hem of his shirt. Conner looked at her. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked. Kira's lust filled eyes narrowed a bit.

"You decide to ask me this _now_?" She demanded incredulously. She didn't give him a chance to answer before attacking his lips with hers. Conner wasn't about to further annoy her and kissed her back. Kira pulled away from his lips just long enough to pull his shirt off. Once the shirt was off, Kira simply let the red item fall on the bed. Kira leaned in, her lips pressing against the spot of flesh that connected his shoulder and his chest. Conner's hands found themselves in her hair, caressing her scalp; the yellow hair-tie that held her hair up fell out, letting the soft curls cascade onto his hands. Kira leaned back, forcing Conner to release her hair. She crossed her arms in front of her, reaching for the hem of her shirt. Conner watched, transfixed as the yellow tank top joined his red shirt on the bed and she was exposed before him. He swiftly leaned into her, mimicking the caresses his hand had done before with his lips. Kira moaned, arching into him as his mouth worked on the sensitive flesh of each breast. Within what felt like seconds, Kira found herself with her back on the bed and Conner on top of her again. Their bottoms were stripped away and now the only thing that kept them from crossing the final line was their own trepidation. It wasn't like they were a couple of teenage virgins who had never been in this position before. Both adults had long ago lost their innocence. But this was different. Before Conner's light kiss nearly half an hour before, the two had never done more than hug each other. This was entirely new territory for the pair and they were unsure how to proceed.

Kira's fingers trailed along his back, her short nails tickling his spine. Conner looked into her eyes as he slowly kissed her. Though they were nervous, the both knew they wanted this. Kira eagerly waited as Conner slowly shifted over her, the tip of his manhood grazing her most intimate place. He slowly sank into her as a moan escaped both of their lips. Conner's lips yet again went to her neck and Kira's hands buried themselves in his hair as the pair found a rhythm, moving together on the bed as their passions escalated with each thrust. Conner grunted against her neck as they let their lust take over them completely and picked up the pace. Conner slammed into her without abandon.

"Oh god…..Conner…." Kira gasped out. She tightened her hold on Conner's hair, her nails scratching his scalp, eliciting a sharp hiss from him. Their motions became even more frantic as they neared the impending climax.

"Kira," Conner moaned. "I-" His voice caught in his throat as his orgasm hit him. Beneath him, Kira's toes curled and her body became rigid as she too reached her end. The two rode their orgasms out together before slumping down on the bed. Conner fell on top of her. His arms, which he had been using to support himself and as leverage, gave out from sheer post coital exhaustion. His eyelids drooped as the sound of Kira panting in his ears lulled him into a pleasant slumber. Kira looked down at Conner's sleeping face lying on her chest as she came down from her high. She gently stroked his cheek. She turned to her side, making Conner slide off of her and lie on his stomach on the bed. She sat up to take hold of the blanket that had been kicked to the foot of the bed in the midst of their foreplay. As she went to reach for the blanket, her fingers grazed over her hair-tie. She pulled her sweat drenched hair back into a loose bun before grabbing the blanket. She lay back in the bed, pulling the blanket up to cover them both. She thought about going back to her own bed but was far too tired and satiated to even try walking the short distance to her room. She turned on her side, facing Conner and curled towards him before slowly following Conner to dreamland.


	4. Facing the Inevitable

Conner awoke to see the newly risen sun shining through his window. He blinked as he watched Kira lying beside him. She was lying on her side, facing him, with her hands tucked under her chin on the bed. She had his red blanket tucked around her, the material coming up right under her armpits. Conner smiled as the light from his window gave her body a soft yellow glow, like a halo surrounding her body. He turned to his side, shifting closer to her. He draped an arm across her torso as he got closer and placed a small kiss on her nose. Kira made a cute little groan and turned in her sleep, her back now facing him as she snuggled in the covers to continue sleeping. Conner's smile only widened as he pressed up against her back and placed kisses on her neck. He couldn't help smirk a bit at the mark his attentions to her neck the night before had left. There was a dark red splotch on her smooth skin. Conner hadn't meant to brand her with a hickey when he sucked, kissed and nibbled at the flesh. He had just been intoxicated by the taste of her soft and tender neck. He couldn't help himself.

Conner brought his arm back to his side, drawing it under the blanket as he again put it across her torso, this time touching her bare flesh instead of the blanket. He pulled her back against him.

"Mmm," Kira hummed softly as the movement eased her out of sleep.

"Good morning," Conner said softly as his hand traveling down her stomach.

"Apparently," Kira mused gently as she leaned into Conner's embrace, enjoying his touch. Conner laughed gently, placing a kiss on the side of her forehead. "We should get up," she said.

"No we shouldn't," Conner replied quickly.

"Trent and Dr. Oliver will be here in a few hours. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not greet our dear friends in my birthday suit," she said with a yawn. Conner groaned.

"All right," he said, sitting up and taking his hands off her. Kira turned on her back and looked up at him. Conner smiled at her. "How about you get some more sleep while I make some breakfast?" He suggested. Kira smiled and nodded.

"That'd be nice," she said. Conner nodded and grabbed his shirt, pulling it on. He searched around for his boxers before realizing they had fallen in the space between his bed and the wall. Conner leaned over the side to retrieve his boxers, his shirt rising up to expose his bare buttocks. Kira blushed and looked away shyly as Conner finally sat back up, boxers in hand. He caught Kira's look.

"What's that?" He asked.

"What's what?" She replied. Conner smirked.

"You're blushing," he said. Kira rolled her eyes and lifted her foot, lightly kicking the side of his leg.

"Shut up, goofball," she said. Conner laughed and eased into his boxers. He scooted to the foot of the bed and stood up, giving Kira one last look before leaving. Once he was gone, Kira's smile faded as she turned, curling on her side again. Sleep was the last thing on her mind as she thought on what had happened between her and Conner, wondering if they'd made a mistake.

---

Downstairs, Conner busied himself with scrambling some eggs in one pan and frying some bacon in the other. He stirred the eggs with a spatula before shutting off the burner they had been on and dispensing the eggs between two plates. Once the bacon was done, he did the same with that. He placed the two plates on the kitchen table just as the sound of footsteps could be heard from the stairs.

"Just in time," he said, as he reached for two mugs for the brewing coffee. "Breakfast is," he paused, turning to the doorway, catching sight of Kira. She wore her pajamas and one of Ethan's oversized university sweatshirts. Her arms were crossed in front of her and she kept her head lowered. "What is it?" He asked, a little unsettled by her uneasy demeanor. Kira walked towards him and took one of the mugs from his hands.

"Nothing," she lied, pouring herself some coffee before taking a seat at the table. Conner watched her as she began to aimlessly poke at her eggs with her fork. He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, running the tip of his tongue along the edges of his lip as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

"You think last night was a mistake," he said. He had meant for it to be a question, but his tone made it more like a statement. Kira's head snapped up towards him. Conner sighed and turned towards the counter, pouring coffee into his mug.

"That's not………" Kira started, she took a deep breath and rose from her seat, slowly walking over to him. "I don't think we made a mistake," she said softly. Conner placed his cup down on the counter and turned to her.

"But," he said, knowing there was more to her response. Kira looked down.

"I just……….I don't know if this………was the right time……"

"A.K.A, you think it was a mistake," Conner said.

"No!" Kira exclaimed. She looked at him exasperation shining in her eyes. "I'm just confused," she said softly. Conner sighed, nodding.

"Yeah," he said.

"With everything that's been going on…….and now this…..it's just too much," Kira said.

"But it happened," Conner said. "And we should deal with it." Kira sighed.

"I didn't plan for this to happen," she said.

"Neither did I," Conner said. Kira looked at him.

"Well, you're the one who kissed me first." Conner sighed and stepped past her, walking about the kitchen.

"I know," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just……I was upset…..and you were just making me feel good…..at ease….for the first time since the explosion…….and I guess I got carried away….." Kira nodded.

"Me too," she said. Conner turned to face her.

"Kira, I don't want you to think I used you-" Kira quickly walked up to him, closing the space between them as she placed a hand over his mouth.

"I don't," she said. She lowered her hand. "We're both hurting and needed someone last night. We needed to feel something other than sadness." Conner frowned.

"So we just mutually used each other?" He asked. Kira sighed.

"Conner, given the fact that before a few days ago we hadn't seen each other in almost a decade, I really don't think now's the time for us to go…….there……" She said. Conner sighed and sat down at table.

"Okay, I'll give you that. But are we just going to pretend that nothing happened?" He asked. Kira sat across from him.

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "All I know is….right now, I'd really like to just sit here and eat breakfast with my good friend Conner as we try to make up for the past years." Conner looked at her, nodding.

"I'd like that too," he admitted. He sighed. "All right," he said. Kira looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Last night…….was just two friends needing comfort from their grief…..doesn't mean anything. It wasn't a mistake or a moment of weakness, just a form of comfort," he stated in an official tone. He gave Kira a smile to show her he wasn't upset by this. Kira returned the smile. "Now, come on, our food's getting cold," he said as he lifted his fork. Kira laughed softly, nodding as the two began to eat their breakfast.

"Conner," Kira said as they ate.

"Hmm?" Conner asked around a mouthful of eggs.

"For the sake of…..well…….not having Tommy and Trent give us the third degree, how about we keep this between us?" Conner swallowed his eggs and nodded.

"All right," he said. "But, in that case, you might want to do something about that hickey before they get here," he smirked as he pointed to the splotch on her neck. Kira's eyes widened as her hand flew to her neck. She jumped to her feet and stood by the metal doors of the refrigerator, catching the reflection of the red mark on her neck.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed. She had thought the only mark he had left on her was the small hickies she had found on her chest when she was getting dressed. "I thought I saw all of them," she muttered. Conner nearly spit out his sip of coffee at that.

"There's more?" He asked. He furrowed his brows, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Where?" He asked. Kira turned and fixed him with a steely glare.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Vlad Dracul," she hissed. Conner laughed.

"Anyways, Tommy and Trent will be here soon. I'm gonna go shower and get ready." Kira commented as she headed towards the stairs. Conner nodded.

"Let me know when the shower's free." He replied as she headed up the stairs. A faint 'Yeah' could be heard before the bathroom door closed. Conner let out a sigh as he put his head into his hands, elbows resting on the table. He really hadn't meant for last night to get so out-of-control like that. On one hand, their activities the night before where something he had wanted for quite some time. Back in their high school days, there were many nights where his dreams consisted of Kira and things much like what had occurred. He had intense feelings for her then, and now, seeing her after all these years, he could honestly say those feelings still existed. And yet, on the other hand, he never wanted things to go there so quickly. His teenage fantasies of Kira involved a slow and steady build to sex. A more natural progression: actual dates and relationship with a strong foundation before things went to a bedroom nature. Conner sighed again, feeling a little glad that his orgasm had come along when it did the night before, cutting him off before he made things even more awkward and rushed by telling her he loved her.

Conner ran his fingers through his hair before getting up to his feet. As he waited for the shower to be free, he busied himself with putting the used dining ware and mugs into the sink, making a mental note to wash them later.

"Shower's free!" He heard Kira yell from the top of the stairs ten minutes later. Conner went to go up the stairs and paused as he caught sight of Kira's retreating towel clad form. He stopped, waiting a few more seconds until he heard the sound of a bedroom door opening and closing before he made his way to the bathroom to start his shower.

---

Kira entered 'her' room, a medium sized beige towel wrapped around her torso. She grabbed her pajamas, which she had abandoned on the bed prior to her shower in favor of the towel she now wore. As her hands went to the bottoms, she stopped. The white pajama bottoms had evidence from her physical reaction to the foreplay she and Conner had engaged in. Kira sighed, realizing she had to depend on Emily's closet once again. She poked her head out of the door and was relieved to hear the sound of the running shower coming from the bathroom, indicating it was safe to walk down the hall in her state of dress, or lack thereof. She quickly scurried to the master bedroom, quickly grabbing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She sighed, wishing she had had time to at least grab some underwear before Conner had gallantly rescued her from her house the other night. After day two in the James household the idea of wearing the same underpants for that long made her favor the idea of going commando in her pajamas. But now, she was in a pickle. The idea of going in such a state in Emily's clothes reeked of some sort of disrespect, and wearing Emily's undergarments felt just as wrong, if not more. Kira sighed, and resigned herself to the former option and Ethan's bulky sweatshirt to hide the lack of bra before scurrying back to her room. She quickly closed the door and tossed the jeans and t-shirt onto the bed before sitting down momentarily herself. She grabbed the large plastic comb that she had found in a small vanity set in the room. She had smiled a bit when she found the set that included a matching brush, hand mirror and travel toothbrush. It was obvious that Emily had equipped the guestrooms with these items in her attempts to make their guest rooms homey and welcoming to any guests that might come along. Kira sighed as she absentmindedly pulled the comb through her wet hair. As her hands went through the motions, her mind wandered what she and Conner had done.

She herself had mixed emotions about everything. Of course, going into his room, she had only intended to give him a little comfort in the form of a hug at the most. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought things would go that far. Well, Kira thought, not exactly 'never in wildest dreams'. He had been a close friend back in high school and as a male she had spent a lot of time with, she naturally found herself idly thinking about what it would be like to be with him, both in a romantic sense in terms of dating and in a more intimate sense. Back then, she'd shrug the thoughts off as just evidence of being a hormonal teenager who was curious about a good male friend. Once in a while, her mind would counter 'well, yeah, but it's not like you've had these thoughts about Ethan, so there has to be something more' but even then she had a plausible excuse. Sure, Ethan and Conner, as well as Trent, were all her good friends. But Conner had a certain physical attractiveness to him that Ethan and Trent did not have. Not to say she saw Ethan or Trent as less than Conner, but she never saw herself sharing a romantic dinner with Ethan and the small crush she had had on Trent upon first meeting him only led to one or two 'idle hormonal thoughts', which paled in comparison to the amount of times Conner filled her head. And now, ten years later, though the years had affected him more than it had the rest of them, he still possessed that charm.

But, she reasoned with herself, this wasn't the time to explore any laden teenage affections. How could she possibly think of perusing any type of relationship with Conner at a time like this, with Ethan and so many others gone and a new and more frightening threat lurking in the shadows? But at the same time, she couldn't help but think about how her situation was now similar to that of people who'd been involved in the world wars. She knew that her grandparents had been married right before her grandfather was sent off to war. And often times in those situations, men never came home. The widowed wives and friends or family left behind mourned their lost but continued living their lives. She remembered hearing stories about the state her grandfather had been when he returned from the war; grief stricken, traumatized by what he had seen and the comrades he had lost. He had found a way to live on, of course. Had he not, had he stayed traumatized and mourned, never experiencing life with his wife, well…..her father wouldn't have been born and she herself wouldn't have come into existence.

Kira turned her head and looked out the window. Maybe it was something worth fighting for. But then how would she react if she too lost him in the same way that they'd lost Ethan? What would happen if they did dive into a relationship and she lost him? Then again, what if she ignored her feelings, never knowing where they could lead, and lost him. She'd mourn and be filled with an everlasting feeling of 'what if'. Kira sighed and shook her head. Thoughts like this could not be settled within the few hours she had before Tommy and Trent arrived, so it was best not to try and get too far into them. Standing up, she began to change into the clothing that she'd selected. Maybe she'd figure it out later. She knew that she wanted answers, but now wasn't the time.

After Kira dressed herself in Emily's clothing, taking a moment to be grateful that she and Emily, though differing in height and build, weren't too different in size and the clothes fit pretty nicely, Kira ruffled the towel through her hair before putting it up in her hair tie. Just as she finished tying her hair, there was a knock on the door.

"Kira?" She heard Conner call from the other side. Kira jumped a bit at the irony that he'd knock on her door just after she had been thinking of him. He's the only other person in the house, dummy, her mind scolded. There was a likely chance he'd knock on the door.

"Come in," she finally said. Slowly, the door opened and Conner entered, his wet hair matted to the side of his head and shirt sticking to him, evident that his body hadn't been completely dry when he put it on. Kira had to force herself to look away. The shirt clung to all the muscles and contours of his torso. The very same muscles and contours her hands and body had touched during their lovemaking. "What's up?" She asked, her eyes focused on the spot of wall near his head so as not to make it obvious that she was avoiding looking at him.

"Was just wondering if you wanted to wait for Tommy and Trent together," he said with a shrug. Kira furrowed her brows.

"We've got a bit of a long wait ahead of us," she said, pointing out that it wasn't like they were expected to arrive in the next twenty minutes. Conner shrugged.

"Yeah, I know, but couldn't think of anything else to do to kill the time," he said. He chose not to make any obvious joke along with that remark, seeing as that would be counterproductive to the whole dropping the subject of sex plan they had agreed on. Kira laughed, shaking her head as she walked past him, her hand reaching up and ruffling his wet hair.

"Goofball," she muttered. Conner's breath hitched slightly in the back of his throat when Kira's hand ran through his hair. It had been her trademark move in high school to annoy him, and he'd respond by grabbing her around the waist and trying to tickle her. Of course, her fingers in his hair now would have a different memory connected to it. Conner sighed, shaking his head. Get a grip man; he thought to himself, you're not some sex crazed teenager. If she can forget about what happened, then so can you. "Conner?" Kira asked, her voice cutting through his mental chastation. "Something wrong?"

"Huh?" He asked.

"You got this like….far off look on your face, is something wrong?" A part of her wanted to smack herself upside her head at such a stupid question. Of course there's something wrong. Many things, take your pick!

"No, I'm fine," Conner said with a smile. He chose to quickly change the subject. "Race you downstairs," he grinned before sprinting past her. Kira rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry, how old are we again?" She asked, amused by his antics. Conner's laughter filled the hallway as he bounced down the steps. Kira shook her head again. "Oh, what the heck," she said as she jogged after him. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was a little surprised not to see him standing there in the living room with a confident smirk on his face. The living room was empty. The question of where he was soon answered as she felt arms come around her with such suddenness she let out a small shriek.

"Got'cha," Conner said from behind her. Before Kira could reply, Conner hauled her up a few inches, his fingers attacking her sides, finally getting her back for the hair tousle. Kira shrieked with laughter as she wiggled in his grasp. Her hands worked at Conner's, trying to push them away with little success. Slowly a smile spread across her face and she pulled her hands from her sides and quickly shot up to Conner's hair and began pushing it around with her hands, causing Conner to drop her. Once her legs were back on the floor, she released her hands from his hair and took off into the living room. "Oh, you're so going to get it, Ford!" He called after her as he ran after her. He caught her again just as she reached the back of the living room couch. The momentum at which he slammed into her caused both parties to roll over the back on the couch as Kira's back hit the cushions before they rolled off the couch completely, Conner's back landing on the floor, pulling Kira down on top of him. The two laughed hysterically on the floor.

"What was that?" Kira asked between laughs.

"I don't know," he replied. Their laughter died down as their eyes met. Here they were again, lying close, except this time she was on top of him. Conner had his hands around her waist and hers were on his chest as they stayed in this position. Kira blinked, scrambling off of him as she quickly muttered something that sounded like 'sorry' before sitting on the couch. Conner sighed and got up as well, joining her on the couch but making sure to put a fair amount of distance between them. The two were silent as they avoided looking at each other.

"I hate this," she finally said. Conner didn't respond. "It feels like everything's changed between us,"

"It has," he stated mater of factly. Kira sighed.

"Why can't we just go back to how things used to be? Be friends, like we are with Tommy, Trent and…" her voice trailed off as she stopped herself from saying Ethan's name. Conner sighed.

"Simple, neither one of _them_ has seen my bare ass," he stated bluntly. Kira blushed a bit.

"Well, you could always show it to them." She replied, trying her best not to laugh. Conner shot her a look out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, I'm sure that'd go over REAL good." He replied sarcastically. "Hey Trent, hey Dr. O, mind standing there for a few minutes while I moon you?" He said. Kira snorted, laughing a bit. Conner chuckled a bit, admitting that it was a little funny, before looking at her sincerely. "Kira, would it be the end of the world if…..what happened last night…..happened again?" He asked. Kira looked at him, gulping slightly.

"I….." she looked away. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," he said. He leaned back in the couch. "I'm not saying we jump in the sack this instant just……that we don't look at it as some one time mistake."

"Conner, I never said it was a mistake."

"You might as well have," he said softly. Kira sighed and closed her eyes momentarily.

"I didn't it mean it like that though." She assured him. Conner looked at her.

"Well, what did you mean?" He asked. Kira bit her lower lip as she brought her feet up on the couch, curling them under her. "Because, the way you were acting when you walked in the kitchen kind of screamed regret," he said. Kira's eyes snapped open as she looked at him.

"Conner," she said softly. "I….it wasn't like that," she said. "I didn't regret what we did…just…how it happened," she said quietly. "It shouldn't have happened like that." Conner's eyes were glued on her at that.

"It should've happened another way?" He asked. Did she feel for him what he felt for her? Conner inched closer to her, his chest pressing against her shoulder as he leaned into her, ready to kiss her. Kira turned her head. Conner sighed. Lowering his head, his forehead touching the top of her shoulder. "You suck," he groaned.

"I'm not saying no," Kira said softly. "Just……not now," he said. Conner lifted his head and looked at her.

"Yeah, kind of funny how those two really don't sound that different from each other," he said. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Conner, we need to be sure this is what we want," she said. "I mean, right now we barely know each other as adults. There's no way we could get into a relationship like this," she said. Conner's eyes darkened a bit.

"Why not Kira? People who were in similar situations like we are right now have done a lot less to be together in times of crisis." He replied, his previously warm tone now slightly cooler. He moved away from her. "Okay, I'll admit the natural progression of relationship is a little skewed here, but so what?"

"And it at all doesn't occur to you that sleeping together before even a first date makes me feel a little…" She paused. Conner's attitude had resulted in her snapping at him, but even in her cold tone she couldn't finish her sentence.

"Little what?" Conner asked. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I don't know, cheap?" Conner gave her an odd look. Kira sighed, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "I want to rebuild our friendship before even thinking about going further. I didn't know that was asking too much," she said tersely.

"I didn't know we needed to rebuild anything," Conner muttered, still a little miffed. Kira's head turned so fast that Conner was sure she was going to have whiplash later.

"Really? Then I must be convinced that someone else named Conner McKnight just strolled out of my life six years ago. Like I said, I don't know you as an adult. I knew you as a teen and not much after that." Conner blinked. Okay, score one for Kira, he thought to himself.

"All right, that's true," he admitted. "But does that matter? I'm still the same Conner McKnight you knew then." Kira shook her head.

"No, you're not. Just like I'm not the same Kira Ford you knew. We grew up, we changed. Maybe if as we were growing up we'd kept in contact, things would be different."

"So, you're just going to keep on throwing that in my face, huh?" Conner asked.

"It's the truth," Kira replied. "Just because I didn't keep in contact for six years, doesn't change how I feel about you." Conner spoke. Kira's brow furrowed slightly.

"Oh, and how exactly do you feel about me?" She asked. Conner opened his mouth to reply, but found his voice catch in his throat. He sighed, standing up and pacing the room a bit.

"You know how I feel," he said. "I would think last night kind of said something." Kira turned on the couch to look at him.

"Not really," she replied, an icy tone in her voice. "So why don't you tell me?" Conner sighed, running his hands over his face.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He shot back. Kira snorted.

"Try me." She replied. Conner looked down. Kira rolled her eyes. She got up, walking around the couch until they were right in front of each other. "See? How can we get into a relationship now, when you can't even tell me-" Her words were cut off by Conner grabbing her face in his hands and crushing her lips with his, her last words coming out muffled against his mouth. Kira tried to resist and pull away but couldn't deny the sensations his kiss was giving her. Conner took her not pushing him away and slapping him as a good sign and lowered one of his hands, placing it on the small of her back as he pulled her closer to him. His other hand moved slightly down her face and rested on her cheek, his thumb dawning small circles along her jaw. Kira's hands, which had been by her side slowly moved up Conner's chest and up to his neck before one snaked around to the back of his neck and the other dropped down to his hip. She felt Conner slowly walk her backwards until her butt bumped into the back of the couch. Suddenly, his hands fell away from her back and face as both hands took hold of her thighs and hoisted her up onto the small surface of top of the couch. She felt his hands press against her back, holding her to him. Kira whimpered a bit, blissfully lost in the kiss, as his hand traveled down her back and held her by the outside of her thighs. After a few minutes of this, Kira gasped softly as Conner pulled his lips away from hers. He rested his forehead against hers, their panting breaths mingling together in their proximity.

"Does that answer your question?" Conner asked. Kira blinked, slowly licking her lips. She closed her eyes for a moment before her hands went to his chest. Conner stumbled back as she pushed him away as she slid off the couch. Conner looked at her, slightly taken aback by the tears shining in her eyes.

"No, it doesn't," she said. Her breath hitched a bit. "All that says is you see last night as just….sex," she said. "You don't want a relationship," she said. "You were just pissy because you weren't getting a little fuck buddy out of the deal!" She spat out harshly, Conner's eyes widened in absolute horror at her words.

"Jesus Christ Kira... You seriously think that I have that low of an opinion of you? Just to use you for sex?!" He all but shouted. A few stray tears slide down her cheeks.

"Well you haven't done anything to prove otherwise, unless of course it was what just happened. But even that is sexually charged!" She replied angrily. For the second time that week, Conner felt something snap.

"What do you want me to do Kira?! Shout all across Texas that I love you? Well guess what, I'm not going to do that, but I will tell you something that has nothing to do with us having sex last night." He shot. Kira snorted yet again.

"Yeah? And what would that be?" She snapped.

"That I love you!" He yelled. Both parties froze at that. Conner was surprised he'd actually said it, especially after saying he wasn't going to shout his love for her. Kira was surprised she'd actually heard it. Kira let out a soft sob, breaking the tense silence. Conner looked down. "Right, guess that's my answer to that," he muttered. He looked up as Kira wrapped her arms around herself, her arms sinking into the grey folds of Ethan's sweatshirt. Conner sighed, taking a few tentative steps towards her until he was back where he had been a few minutes before, mere centimeters away from her. "You're the one who wanted to sweep last night under the rug," he said lowly. He took a small step away from her. "Last night was probably one of the best nights of my life. And not just because of the sex," he went on. He pursed his lips for a moment before continuing. "Fine, I'll give you that the timing's off and feeling this way when we've lost one of our closest friends might seem a little selfish. But I'm not going to deny it." He looked down with a sigh.

"Then why did you stay away?" He heard Kira ask in a small voice. He looked up. She had her head down and tears continued to roll down her cheeks. He opened his mouth to reply but her head snapping up to look at him made him stop. "Answer me that, Conner," she said. "If you love someone, you don't just walk out of their life with no word or warning and don't contact them for years." Conner waited a second, to make sure she didn't have anything else to say at that moment. Once he saw she was done, he spoke.

"Because I didn't want to drag you into this mess," he said. "There was the element of possibly putting you in danger and….I just……..I knew," he paused for a moment, "I knew that if you knew some evil was out there you would've dropped whatever you were doing and helped me."

"And would that have been so terrible?" Kira asked. Conner nodded.

"I didn't want you to abandon your dreams," he said. "I couldn't let you do that. As long as I knew you were out there, safe, pursuing your dreams of music glory, I could live with the pain of not having you in my life." Kira let out a small sigh, trying to get herself to calm down.

"So why tell me now then?" She asked. Conner blinked.

"You just…" He started. "You wanted me to tell you how I feel," he said. Kira narrowed her eyes.

"So that's the only reason?" She asked. Conner sighed.

"No," he said. "God, this is not at all going like I hoped," he muttered. He looked at her. "I'm telling you now because I see that keeping my distance from you just prolonged the inevitable," he stated. "You're here," he said. "And I guess….keeping my feelings to myself for this many years was long enough." Kira thought for a moment before speaking.

"What do you want from me then Conner?" She asked, her tone a lot softer than it had previously been. Conner looked at her for a moment before replying.

"I'm not asking you to love me back Kira, if that's what you were getting at. What I'm asking for is a chance. Yes, I know that we're facing something incredibly evil and twisted here, but it wouldn't be the first time that two Rangers made it work. I can't live without you in my life Kira, as a friend or as something else. All I'm asking for is a chance to prove to you that you mean more to me than anyone else does." He replied. Kira looked at him, wiping at her cheeks.

"Okay," she said quietly. Conner looked at her.

"Okay?" He asked. Kira nodded. She took a deep breath.

"Conner, I had feelings for you," she said. Conner looked down.

"But, let me guess, you got over whatever high school crush you had long ago," he said. Kira sighed and stepped closer to him.

"I thought I had," she said. "I mean, I never stopped thinking of you but….I just thought that my feelings were a little schoolgirl crush and didn't think much about them." Conner's ears perked up at the definite 'but' he heard in her tone. "But," she went on. "The other night, when you showed up in my living room, I just….I wasn't so sure anymore. And then, last night……."

"Kira, you're killing me here," Conner said anxiously. "I need to know how you feel in the here and now."

"I want to be with you," she blurted out quickly. Conner's heart skipped a beat as the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile. "I don't……..I don't know if its love……I just…….I know I want you," she lowered her head shyly. "But,"

"No, no," Conner pleaded. "No buts, please," he said, his hands going to her upper arms. Kira looked up at him. She smiled softly, stepping into him. Kira laid her cheek against his chest, making his arms leave her arms and wrap around her smaller frame.

"Let's just take it slow, for now, okay?" She requested, her voice muffled by his shirt. "Baby steps, that's all I ask." She could feel Conner's breathing even out as he nodded.

"I can do that." He replied softly, placing a soft kiss on the crown of her head.

"And no sex," she added. Conner groaned, his head playfully collapsing on hers.

"Ever?" He asked. He felt her whack his side. Conner chuckled. Kira lifted her face from his chest and looked at him.

"We are going to function like a normal pair of friends going into relationship territory here," she said. "And as a new couple, we can't jump in the sheets right away."

"Even though we did," Conner pointed out. Kira chewed on her lip.

"Consider that an extension of our first kiss?" She asked, shrugging. Conner chuckled.

"That was one hell of a kiss then," he said. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Seriously though Conner...Slow," she repeated. Conner placed a soft kiss on her lips. He rested the side of his forehead against hers once he ended the innocent kiss. Kira let her eyes drift shut at the feel of his breath hitting her cheek.

"Okay, on one condition," he said.

"What?"

"Sleeping together," he said. Kira stepped away from him.

"Conner, I just said-"

"No, not sex," he quickly jumped in. He gave a sheepish smile, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "I liked waking up next to you this morning," he admitted. Kira couldn't help smile at how adorable he looked right then.

"So, just innocent, fully clothed sleeping together?" She asked slowly. Conner nodded. "I'll think about it," she said. Conner nodded.

"I can live with an 'I'll think about it'," he said. Kira chuckled and hugged him, tucking her head under his chin. Conner put his arms around her. He looked down, his eyes going to her neck as a grin came to his face. "Uh, Kira?" He asked.

"Hmm?" She asked.

"Would our soon to be arriving dear friends catching sight of your hicky fall under our first few baby steps into this relationship?" He asked. Kira groaned. She had totally forgotten about the mark on her neck.

"Damnit." She muttered. "I knew I forgot to do something about that." She sighed and slowly pulled away from Conner. "I can't try to hide it with any concealer Emily might've had," she muttered, mostly to herself. "My complexion is different from hers. It wouldn't help." Kira glared at him. "You just had to focus on my neck, didn't you?" Conner laughed.

"Sorry," he said.

"Maybe I could just wear a turtleneck for the next couple of days." She mused out loud. Conner looked at her for a moment before voicing his opinion.

"Y'do realize that its 90 degree weather outside right? We're in Texas... Not Alaska." He grinned. "It's a wonder you're not dying in that sweatshirt," he pointed out.

"I'm wearing this out of necessity," she said. "Don't ask," she said, not exactly wanting to explain to him her lack of bra, although Conner had kind of figured that out from holding her previously. Conner shrugged.

"You could just say it's a burn," he offered. Kira looked at him.

"A burn?" She asked.

"Well, if you can't hide it, lie about it," he said.

"Yes, because I'm dense enough to somehow burn my neck." She replied, rolling her eyes. Conner shrugged.

"You straighten your hair don't you? Aren't those flat irons like 500 degree's or something?" He asked. Kira gave him a look before simply taking the hair-tie out of her hair and shuffling it on her shoulders so it lay flat against her neck. "Or that could work," he said. Kira rolled her eyes. Kira looked down at her attire for a moment before looking back at Conner.

"As much as I'm _enjoying_ wearing Emily and Ethan's clothing... I'm in dire need of my own." She told him. He nodded. He had noticed her preference to wearing her pajamas the past few days and understood she was a little uncomfortable in the clothes that weren't hers.

"Once Dr. O and Trent get here and everything's settled, you can get some things with Ethan's company account," he said. Kira frowned.

"Isn't that like…..fraud or something?" Kira asked. "Using Ethan's account I mean," she said, a twinge of sadness in her tone as she said Ethan's name, especially the context that Ethan was no longer around to authorized use of the account. Conner shook his head.

"Ethan added me to his account a few weeks after I got here," he said. "His account extends to his family so Emily could always use it in emergencies, and…" his voice trailed off, he cleared his throat, smiling a bit at the memory. "He said I was family, so he gave me authorization to use the account," he said. Kira was taken aback by the statement. She knew that Ethan and Conner had gotten closer when they started working together on this entire project... She just never realized how close. A part of her felt a little jealous at that. She was always close to Ethan and his family. He had even made her Ryan's godmother. She often joked with Hayley and the Olivers that with both Ethan and Trent entrusting her with their children by both naming her as godmother, she didn't know if she could take the pressure.

With her status as godmother, Kira knew the James saw her as _like _family, but she got the impression that Conner was able to be seen as family, no 'like' in between them.

"Oh." Was all that Kira could manage to say to Conner's comment. He noticed that her demeanor had changed slightly within the past few minutes of Ethan being brought up. He rubbed her arms slightly.

"Kira?" He prodded, tipping her chin up using his hand. "What is it?" He asked. Kira shook her head.

"It's nothing," she said.

"Kira," Conner insisted. Kira sighed, shrugging.

"I just….didn't realize you and Ethan were so close," she said. "I mean, I know you two were _close_ just…" Conner silenced her with a small kiss.

"Kira," he said. "It wasn't like he saw you, or Dr. O or Trent, as anything less than that," he said, as if he were reading her mind. "I think….I think Ethan just saw that I had cut my self off from everyone and needed to connect to others again. He took it upon himself to give me that by making me part of the family." Kira nodded, understanding.

"It's just..." She sighed. "When Ethan and Emily made me Ryan's godmother, they said that they saw me _like_ family..." She trailed off.

"You're…..I mean…you were…." Conner paused a bit, hating the idea of using Ryan as a past tense, "Ryan's godmother?" He asked. Kira nodded. Conner chuckled. "Oh," he muttered to himself. "Ethan, the sneak," he said.

"What?" She asked.

"I was Ryan's godfather," he said. He laughed a bit. "Seems like Ethan wanted to make sure I was connected to you, even if I was too stupid to contact you." Kira smiled a bit.

"What a sneaky thing to do," she said. Conner looked at her.

"You don't honestly think there was a difference, do you?" He asked. "You were a part of their family just as much as I was. The only difference was location and state of mind. I was here…..in my aforementioned wreck, Ethan decided to take me under his wing." Kira nodded.

"And I was globe-trotting and too busy with work at the time." She replied, mentally kicking herself that she hadn't gotten more time with her adorable godson.

"Kira," Conner reprimanded gently. "Don't feel bad for any of that. You were following your dreams to where they lead you. Ethan, Emily and Ryan wouldn't want you to feel bad." Kira sighed and looked at him.

"When did you become so insightful?" She asked. Conner smiled.

"With age comes wisdom," he replied. Kira looked at Conner.

"You?! Wise!? Are we talking about the same person?" She smiled. Conner gave her a playful glare.

"Don't make me tickle you, Ford," he threatened. Kira smiled, marveling at how Conner had managed to get her back into happy spirits.

"Aww but Conner, you know you want to." She replied, sticking her tongue out at him and winking playfully. Conner grinned, deciding that instead of tickling her, he'd make better use of her tongue. Conner quickly lowered his face to hers, kissing her deeply. Kira moaned gently as his tongue slid against hers. Kira's hands went to his hair as Conner backed her up into a wall, sandwiching her body between his and the solid surface. His lips left hers as they went to her neck. "Conner," she said, her tone playful yet sharp. She practically purred like a content kitten as his lips teased her neck.

"Hmm?" He mumbled against her skin, sending soft vibrations into her throat, which only made Kira moan gently.

"If you give me another hickey, I'll kill you," she said.

"What if it's someplace that's not visible to anyone else?" He asked, as he placed butterfly kisses across her jaw line. Kira closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips on her.

"We're supposed to be going slow, remember?" She asked, her voice coming out in a low husky tone.

"I can think of a few things that can be done really slowly." Conner replied in the same tone.

"Conner," Kira moaned. "You know that's not what I meant." Although she wasn't making any move to stop him.

"We could always say it was an extension of our first kiss," he said, grinning against her jaw.

"You're not funny," Kira groaned.

"Yeah, but I get points for trying, don't I?" He asked as his hands rested gently on her hips and pulled them forward slightly. Kira gasped as he pressed their hips together. She squeezed her eyes, grinding into him. Conner groaned at the sensation. "That's not going slow," he teased. Kira huffed and took her hands out of his hair, grabbing his face and pulling his lips back to hers. She kissed him fiercely.

"How much time do we have until Dr. O and Trent get here?" She whispered against his lip. The sound of the ringing doorbell answered the question.

"Not enough," Conner groaned, his head falling on her shoulder.


	5. Interrupted

The two stilled their movements as Kira slumped against the wall, catching her breath. "I know they're our friends, but I really hate them right now." He said. The doorbell rang again.

"We have to get the door," Kira panted out. She felt Conner shake his head.

"Maybe if we're really quiet they'll go away," he said.

"Conner," Kira chastised. Conner groaned.

"All right," he said. The doorbell rang once more. "Impatient, aren't they?" Conner groaned.

"Oh, like you're not, mister can't even wait a full hour before groping me again," she said. Conner chuckled. "Come on," she said.

"Uh, I'm not exactly in any state to greet anyone," Conner said. The doorbell rang again, this time followed by a round of knocks. Kira placed her hands on his head, kissing his forehead gently.

"Go upstairs," she said. "I'll get the door." Conner nodded. Kira nearly lost her resolve when she felt Conner's bulge brush against her as he got up from the wall. She took a deep breath and watched him hurry up the stairs. Kira took another deep breath. "Coming!" She called towards the door as she quickly smoothed her clothes and hair. Finally, Kira reached the door and unlocked it. She quickly removed the security lock and opened the door. There, with bags at their feet were Trent and Tommy.

"Finally." Trent breathed a sigh of relief as he picked up his bags and stepped into the sprawling house. Tommy followed quickly after.

"What took you two so long?" Tommy questioned, shooting Kira a look. She gave both her friends a smile.

"Sorry, Conner and I were downstairs and didn't hear the doorbell at first." She replied. Seeming to accept her apology, she exchanged hugs with them before the next question came flying at her.

"Speaking of Conner, where is he?" Trent asked, taking survey of the living room and hallway in front of him.

"Oh, he's upstairs." She replied, nonchalantly.

"But you just said he was downstairs with you," Tommy said. Kira closed her mouth.

"He…..uh……had to run to the bathroom," Kira said quickly.

"Oh," Tommy said.

"Oh, before we forget," Trent said. He picked up one of the many bags and handed it to her. Kira recognized it as the yellow duffel bag she had packed for the trip to Texas. "We stopped by your place before we left Reefside." Kira looked at the bag and smiled at her two friends.

"We would've brought your guitar but we couldn't find it," Tommy apologized.

"And Dr. O didn't think we should stay too long," Trent added. "We would've looked for it, but-" Kira stopped him by jumping at them both, putting an arm around each their necks and hugging them.

"Thank you!" She gushed. She finally had some of her own clothes, more specifically underwear; to hold her until she could get some more if the need arose. Tommy and Trent laughed as they each put an arm around her in a joint hug.

"You're welcome," Tommy said once all three got out of the hug. After a few seconds, his smile fading as he became serious. "It's a good thing Conner got you out of your house when he did," he said.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "Was everything okay?" It wasn't that she was concerned about the house, but more concerned if something happened to them when they were kind enough to get her things. Her eyes scanned over them, trying to see any visible wounds or evidence of a narrowly evaded scuffle.

"We didn't face any trouble," Trent said, picking up on her concern. "The place was just….trashed. Your room was covered in feathers from someone going at your bed and pillows with a knife. Looked like whoever was looking you was pretty ticked he didn't find you." Kira felt a shiver run down her spine as she thought of what could've happened to her had Conner not shown up or hadn't teleported them out just in the knick of time.

"Nothing seemed to be missing though." Tommy reassured her. Kira nodded. She was suddenly very thankful that she was safe and hadn't endured the same fate as others had. Kira smiled.

"I don't care if anything was missing," she said. "Just as long as you two are okay," she said, her smile lessened a bit. "I couldn't bear it if something had happened to you guys like….." her voice trailed off. Trent put a hand on her shoulder.

"We're okay," he assured her. Kira smiled.

"Good," she replied. They were distracted by the sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs. They turned towards them to see Conner coming over to them. Kira sent him a secret smile which he acknowledged by shifting his eyes and giving her a brief warm gaze. He came to a stop beside her, standing in front of Trent and Tommy. He paused, unsure how to proceed. It had been so many years and a part of him wondered if they harbored any ill feelings towards him and therefore not be too keen on hugging him or anything of the sort. Sure he had spoken to them both on the phone recently but just because they seemed on good terms on the phone didn't necessarily mean things were okay.

"Hey guys." He ventured, giving a casual wave to their companions. Tommy and Trent both gave him an incredulous look.

"All these years, and all we get is a 'hey guys'?" Trent asked. Conner winced as his heart sank a bit.

"I'm sorry, I-" Before he could finish, he felt Tommy take hold of his shoulders and embrace him in a tight hug before letting him go and allowing Trent to do the same. Conner felt relieved that his friends held no ill-feelings towards him and he grinned.

"You're an idiot, you know that, right?" Trent asked him as he let him go. Conner was relieved to see the small smile his friend wore; telling him it was not a malicious comment.

"I guess some things never change, huh?" Conner said, laughing a bit. Tommy smiled.

"Nope...not even ten years later." He replied, clapping a hand on Conner's shoulder.

"Now, how about you show us around?" Trent questioned. Conner smiled.

"Sounds like a plan," he said. The three wandered off a bit to begin the tour. Kira watched them with a smile on her face.

"I'll catch up to you guys in a minute, just going to put this upstairs," she said as she picked up her duffel bag. The three males just nodded and began talking amongst themselves as they headed downstairs. Kira went to her room. Originally she wanted to just leave the bag on her bed and return to the guys, but she then decided to give Conner some time to talk with the new arrivals. Conner had a lot of catching up to do with all of them, but she figured the past few days she'd been with Conner was enough for her and him for now. Besides, she thought with a smile, she needed some time to think about the new developments between her and Conner.

Kira busied herself with unpacking her bag and putting her things in the dresser that sat in the room. Being on the road a lot during touring had taught Kira had to make the most out of space when it came to packing. So even though by appearances she couldn't have more than a few weeks worth of clothing in the duffel bag, through her finely honed art of packing, she had managed to get in at least three months worth of clothing, including underwear, as well as toiletries and other essentials like a pair of sneakers. She was just as glad about the sneakers as she had been about the concept of underwear. Without them, she would've had to walk around barefoot seeing as Emily was a size or two smaller than she and wearing her shoes would've been torture.

Kira filled the dresser drawers with her clothes, adding the final piece of making this room homey to her as she organized the drawers like how she kept them organized in her house—under garments in the top drawers, outerwear in the middle drawers and pajamas at the bottom. She grabbed her shoes and tossed them down gently near the door to her room. She was sad that she hadn't packed any small mementos, but knew that they only would have taken up viable space in her bag. She decided not to dwell on it as she organized her toiletries on the top of the dresser before putting some things in the small closet in the room. Her touring mind had made her pack things for every occasion. Coming to Dallas to deal with this new threat didn't exactly call for makeup and nice clothes, but as she had packed she had gone into automatic mode and put the sort of things she would've packed for a tour. Then again, being on tour meant that she would be living on a bus or in multiple hotels for months at a time, so it was understandable that she needed stuff to go out in, make-up to wear that wasn't her 'stage make-up' so everything that she thought she needed, had gone it. Stopping for a minute, Kira began to think. Even though she had enough clothing to last her a lifetime and a half, she was going to have to still buy some stuff eventually... Like within the next few weeks to be exact. She decided to let it go for now and worry about shopping when the time came. Now she wanted to deal with the more important task of getting out of Emily and Ethan's clothes.

Within moments, she abandoned the clothes she had worn for a pair of jeans and an open yellow cotton blouse over a yellow a-shirt. She jammed her feet into a pair of ankle socks and headed over to where her toiletries had been placed. She quickly brushed her hair and looked at her reflection in the mirror on top of the dresser. Her eyes fell on the mark on her neck and was very glad she had packed a small assortment of makeup. With a relieved sigh, she opened up the pouch that held her makeup and pulled out her tub of concealer. She opened up the top and dabbed at it with a brush before pulling her hair out of the way and covering the splotch with the cool cream. She waited a bit to let the cream dry on her skin before letting her hair fall back in place. She figured that if by accident she ended up showing the mark to Tommy or Trent, she'd use Conner's excuse that she'd burnt herself with her flat iron a few days before hand. But, she figured, the added assurance of the makeup on her neck told her that perhaps the need for an explanation wouldn't be necessary and she'd just have to remember to keep re-apply it until the splotch faded away.

Once Kira was done, she figured she had left the guys alone long enough and decided it was time to join them. She left the room and jogged down the stairs before going down the other set of stairs that led to the basement. When she got there, she realized she got their just as Conner was finishing up showing them the set up in the basement lab. Tommy and Trent stared with astonished looks as Conner finished up his explanations.

"How do you know all this?" Trent asked, amazed that Conner hadn't even stumbled through the explanations. Conner shrugged.

"I learned a lot from Ethan while we were working together." He replied. He sighed. "Unfortunately, not enough," he said. "Running the scans for this evil's been pretty tough these past few days." Tommy stepped forward and placed a hand on Conner's shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said. "All these years knowing Hayley, I've picked up a bit computer know-how as well. Between the two of us, I'm sure we can figure things out." Conner smiled; glad to know he had some help with the computer stuff but mostly glad to have Tommy's older wisdom in this crisis. Tommy returned the smile. "But," he said. "Let's worry about that later. For now, why don't you continue the tour and we all use the day to relax," he suggested. Conner nodded, agreeing to this plan. Conner walked ahead of the group as he led them around the house for the following hour. Upon learning of the room situations, Tommy took it upon himself to take the roll out bed in Ryan's room and let Trent have the remaining guest room. Perhaps it was the return to the leader/father figure role he had ten years ago when they were all rangers together, all he knew is in his mind, if someone had to deal with the depressing though of sleeping in the room of the deceased child, it should be him. Neither Trent nor Tommy made any sort of comments or questions in regards to Emily and Ethan's bedroom, just leaving the subject be. Both had similar ideas that it would eventually be used for something, but what that something was, they didn't know.

After the tour, the group settled in the living room and began to talk. Conner sat on one of the arm chairs as Trent took the end of the couch closest to the chair and Tommy sat in the chair on the other side of Conner. Kira sat on the other end of the couch, smiling as Tommy and Trent regaled Conner with stories of their life so far.

"Wow, their adorable," Conner said when Tommy and Trent whipped out wallet sized pictures of their respective families, specifically the children, from their wallets. Kira watched happily, not contributing much to the conversation, unless asked. Her mind was still drawn to what had happened earlier that day.

"So, did everyone get away safely?" Conner finally asked, voicing the concern that had tugged on his mind since Tommy and Trent had arrived. Tommy sighed.

"We had a few more casualties," he said sadly. Kira sat up at that.

"Are the girls okay?" She asked, her eyes darting between Tommy and Trent. They knew that term extended to Courtney, Allison, Elise, Kimberly, Kendra as well as Hayley. Trent put a reassuring hand on her knee.

"Yeah, they're all fine," Trent assured her.

"Kimberly, Kendra, Anton, Elsa and the girls are on Aquitar and Hayley's with Cam and the ninja team on Inquiris," Tommy said. He sighed. "The Blue Turbo ranger, Justin Stewart, his fiancé and father died the same night as Ethan, Emily and Ryan," Tommy said. He took a deep breath as he went on. "Ryan Mitchell, the Titanium Lightspeed ranger and Max Cooper, the Blue Wild Force ranger were killed on their way to NASADA." He then went on to tell Conner and Kira what Carter and Danny had said about the deaths. Conner and Kira sat there with eyes wide for a few minutes, taking this in.

"So, we've got evil things in white…..and an evil ranger," Conner said slowly. He as somewhat glad to finally put faces to the evil but wished it hadn't come at the cost of two rangers.

"Yeah, a sadistic psychopath in green," Kira said, still shocked by the brutality of the attack on Max Cooper. Tommy nodded.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Max was just…" his voice trailed as he thought back to the sight of Danny carrying Max's mangled body. "Whoever would do something like that…is truly evil. Certainly nothing like I've ever faced before," he said, recalling the multiple evils he'd seen in his days as a ranger. This green ranger made the evil quotient of Rita, Zedd, Ivan Ooze, the Machine Empire, Divatox and Mesogog combined look like down right kindness. Conner nodded.

"We need to figure out what our plan of action is and quickly... Before this guy strikes again."

"Conner," Tommy said. "Like I said, we'll deal with this tomorrow." Conner stared at him incredulously.

"Dr. O, I-"

"Conner," Tommy said, cutting him off. "All the rangers, minus the four of us, are safe on another planet. And if what you said about the security systems here is true, we'll be safe here." Conner sighed. "A lot of things have happened these past few days, we all need at least one more day to recuperate and get our head's straight before we dive into this." Conner slumped in his chair.

"Fine," he huffed. "You should know, right? Being the Yoda of the ranger world and all that," he added, an icy edge in his tone. "Relax while evil rampages, we should. Sit on our asses, we must," he said, making his voice graveling and cartoonish like the character he was imitating. Tommy sighed.

"Hey," Kira jumped in, before anyone said anything else they might regret. She could see the power struggle going on before her. Tommy was used to stepping in as leader, and unfortunately, so was Conner. Tommy was going back to their roles back in their Dino days. Though Conner saw himself as the leader, Tommy outranked him and back then, Conner didn't object to falling behind their teacher and mentor. But this was different. They weren't naïve teenagers anymore. "How about we compromise?" She suggested. "We relax for a few more hours and have some dinner, then go to work." Everyone looked at her before slowly nodding.

"Sounds good," Trent said.

"Yeah," Tommy agreed.

"Sure," Conner sighed. Kira relaxed back into her seat and looked at the rest of them, having spoken her piece. Trent sat up a little.

"I don't know about Tommy, but I'm a little jet lagged... Why don't we use our relaxation time, and sleep?" He questioned. Tommy nodded; feeling a little tired himself as he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.

"Sounds good," Tommy said. He and Trent got up with a chorus of 'see you guys later' before going up the stairs. Once they were gone, Kira slowly slid to the other end of the couch, placing a hand on Conner's thigh.

"You okay?" She asked. Conner looked at her.

"Yeah, just…I hate not doing anything," he said. "Ethan wouldn't want us to just sit on our respective duffs."

"Ethan wouldn't want us making ourselves crazy and overwhelmed by not taking some time off," she said. Conner sighed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Kira stretched out a little more before speaking.

"Look, why don't you go get some sleep." She told him. Conner looked at her as she lounged against the arm of the couch. Her blouse fell a bit off one of her shoulders and the hem rode up a bit, exposing the bottom half of her navel as she stretched. He smiled. Kira let out a startled squeak as Conner practically pounced on her as he quickly moved from the arm chair to lying on top of her on the couch, his hands snaking around her so they now rested under her back.

"I have a better idea," he whispered as his lips found her neck, yet again. Kira sighed a bit, wiggling underneath him.

"Conner," she groaned a bit. As much as this wasn't what she meant about relaxing, she couldn't deny that this was enjoyable, especially when his lips moved up to her jaw line. "Tommy and Trent could come down here any second," she said. Conner mumbled an inaudible response into her jaw, before moving back to her lips.

"We'll just have to either be really really quiet, or go someplace else." He replied as he pulled away. Kira watched as Conner stood up and extended a hand down to her. Kira bit her lip. She knew relying on being quiet wasn't necessarily a safe bet, and she herself didn't want to stop either. She reached out and took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. Conner smiled and placed a quick kiss on her lips. The two quietly snuck up the stairs, careful to not make any noise that could garner Tommy and/or Trent sticking their heads out of their rooms to see what was going on. As they made their way to Conner's room, Kira was glad she had taken the room next to Conner's and Trent's room was on the other side of hers, with Tommy's room being further down the hall on the other side of Conner's room, next to the master bedroom.

Once Kira and Conner were inside the room, Conner shut the door and Kira felt herself being pushed against the door as his lips met hers in a deep kiss. Kira wrapped her arms around his neck as he grabbed her by her thighs and hoisted her up, making her wrap her legs around his waist. Her hands quickly found their place in Conner's dark curls again, as they had the night before. Conner's hands snaked up the back of Kira's shirt. One hand held her securely at the small of her back as the other traveled upwards, his fingers brushing against the clasps of her bra.

"I kind of preferred the other way," he joked, referring to her previous sans underwear state, between kisses. Kira moved her lips away from his.

"Shut up," she gasped out before placing a kiss on his chin and returning to his lips. Conner held her tighter as he moved her off the wall and carried her to the bed. Their lips never broke contact as he bent over and placed her on the bed before moving on top of her. Just had he settled on top of her, Kira shifted her hips, causing Conner to roll on his back. Conner was a little surprised by the change in positions as she sat up on top of him, her hands on his stomach as she gazed down at him with a smirk.

"Well, this is new," Conner said, curious to see what would happen next as Kira took control of the situation. He felt Kira's hands travel up from his stomach and rest against his shoulders.

"Variety is the spice of life," she replied before leaning over and kissing him. Conner couldn't contain his grin as she kissed him again, and his hands slid back into their previous position. He skillfully unhooked her bra and let his hand run over her soft skin. Kira's hands moved away from his shoulders as she quickly shed the blouse, leaving only the light weight yellow a-shirt. Her hands went to his hair as her lips left his and found his neck.

"Hey, that's my move," Conner chuckled.

"And this is payback time," she replied against his neck before mimicking his previous ministrations. Conner moaned gently, enjoying the sensations all of this was giving him. He shifted beneath her as her attentions to his neck and the feel of her bare back under his hands began to have a physical affect on him.

"Kira," he said in a soft gasp. "I think I should warn you that I'm starting to seriously consider breaking the no sex rule," he said. Kira's only response to him was her placing more kisses into his neck and slowly back up to his jaw. She slowly kissed her way down his jaw line, until she reached his ear.

"It was kind of a stupid rule anyway," she said, followed by a gentle nibble on his ear lobe. Conner threw his head back, greatly affected by her words and her actions.

"Are you sure?" He asked. The last thing he wanted was to have a similar situation of regret like she had had that morning.

"Yeah." She replied softly. She couldn't exactly deny that she and Conner had more than just sexual chemistry. There was something more there, and the sex just added to it. She sat up again, making Conner groan at the absence of her lips. Kira smiled a bit. She scooted back a bit, making Conner make a more pleased sound as she came to be closer to his erection. Conner sat up as he removed his shirt. Once his shirt was gone, he put his hands on her hips to turn her over onto the bed when Kira stopped him. Conner looked at her and couldn't help grin a bit on the predatory look she was giving him. "I kind of prefer this way," she said softly before putting one arm around his neck and crushing their lips together.

"Whatever you say," he muttered against her lips. As they kissed, Conner reached for the hem of her shirt, their lips separating as she put her arms up and let him pull the shirt and open bra off. Both articles of clothing joined his shirt as the pair met again for a kiss. Soon after the clothing hit the floor, Kira's hands made their way down to Conner's jeans, slowly undoing them and pushing them down ever so slightly. Conner, having a slight advantage did the same but slipped his hands down into her jeans and under the waistband of her underwear, resting on her hips. He grinned mischievously as his fingerers lightly tickled her hips, making Kira giggle. She gave him a playful glare.

"Stop that," she chastised. Conner chuckled and tickled her again. Kira put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him down on the bed, making his hands leave her hips. "If you can't behave, you'll have to be punished," she said, wagging a finger at him. Conner grinned.

"Something tells me that wouldn't be so bad," he replied. Kira laughed and shook her head as she returned to the task of ridding him of his jeans. She shifted up onto her knees as she pushed his jeans down past his knees before climbing off of him to momentarily sit on the bed so she could remove her jeans. Conner went to sit up but Kira gave him a look to stop.

"Stay," she said. Conner laughed but did as he was told and laid back in the bed, watching her. Once her jeans were disposed of, she returned to her previous place. Conner was bubbling with anticipation as she pushed his boxers down. He held his breath as he felt her shift over him. Both of them gave a moan as she lowered herself onto him. Not caring if it was considered 'misbehaving', Conner sat up and wrapped his arms around her, his hands pressing against the small of her back as he kissed her neck. Kira sighed and slowly began to move against him. As Kira moved, she could feel Conner kissing his way down her neck and leaving a trail that stopped between her breasts. He removed one of his hands from her back and placed it overtop of one of her breasts. His mouth took control of the other. "Oh, Conner," she moaned gently, the pace of her hips' movement increasing due to the added sensation. The pair got lost in the moment as they reached higher and higher to the cliff of their passions. Suddenly, both froze as there was a knock on the door.

"Conner?" They heard Trent's voice from the other side. Shit, they both thought. The sound of the doorknob turning made them both spring into action as Conner turned so they were both on the bed. He had thrown the blanket over their bodies just as the door began to open. "Hey, I was just wondering where the extra towels wer…." Trent stopped as he came to see the scene in front of him---Kira and Conner, in bed together, both obviously naked under the red blanket that Kira was holding securely to her chest and Conner was holding at the sides to hide anything below his waist. Their wide eyed fearful looks made them look like kids who'd just been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Trent tried to prevent his mouth from falling open, but quickly lost the battle.

"Uh, you know what... I think I'll find them on my own." He managed to get out before turning on his heel. Once the door closed behind them, Conner and Kira both let out the breath they had been holding in.

"Oh my god," Kira said, collapsing on the bed, burying her face in the nearby pillow. "I can't believe that just happened." Conner ran a hand over his face, trying to decipher what had actually just happened. As much as he and Kira were venturing into the realm of coupledom, he hadn't thought about how they would share the news with the others. He had simply pushed the thought back, figuring he and Kira could deal with it later. Never did he want their secret to come out like this. He turned his head when he felt Kira moving beside him. "I should go," she muttered quickly as she grabbed at her jeans and underpants, putting them on. She went to reach for her tops on the floor when Conner took her wrist to stop her.

"Wait, what?" He asked. The idea of having to stop right when, anatomically, he was still very much in the moment, for the second time that day did not sound like fun at all. Kira turned and looked at him, her arms automatically crossing over her chest.

"Conner, we were littlerly just caught in the act... You seriously can't want to keep going." Conner opened his mouth to reply, only to close it, unsure how to respond. "You do?!" Kira exclaimed incredulously.

"Kira, our friends were going to find out about us eventually," Conner tried to reason.

"Yeah, but not like this!" She replied. She leaned over and grabbed her things from the floor. Conner leapt from the bed, quickly tying the sheet around his waist to prevent making this situation even more awkward that it already was. He grabbed Kira's shoulders and looked at her.

"You really think that this matter to them?" He questioned. Ethan had given him hell all through university and even afterwards that he thought Conner had been completely dense for not telling Kira about how he felt. He wouldn't be surprised if Trent and Tommy shared the same thought. Kira looked at him.

"Conner, you have to see how this looks," she said, trying to make him see reason. "We're all about to get ready to deal with this new evil and here you and I are……..doing it," Kira said. Conner closed his eyes as he sighed. This sounded a lot like the regret she had that morning.

"So, what are you saying?" He asked, opening his eyes to look at her. "That you…..wish we weren't doing this?" Kira's eyes widened.

"No!" She said quickly. "No," she said again, a bit softer, as she put her hand on his cheek. I'm…." she paused as she tried to find the right words. "Happy….with you….I just…..I mean, come on, it's kind of embarrassing…….Trent walking in on us like that," she said. Conner pressed his forehead to hers.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later Kira." He replied softly as he used his hands to uncross her arms and pull her closer to him.

"Oh, really?" Kira asked. "What, did you plan on doing it in plain view of our friends often?" She asked. Conner sighed and made her tuck her head under his chin as he held her close.

"No, but with all of us staying here, it was bound to happen. I mean, unless you want to invest in 'do not disturb' signs for the door, an accidental walk in would've been inevitable." Kira sighed against Conner. He did have a point.

"Fine," she said, her voice muffled by the skin of his chest. "But it doesn't make this any less mortifying," she said. Conner laughed a bit.

"All right, I'll give you that," he said. He lifted his head and made her look at him. "Just, don't go, please?" He pleaded. Kira looked up and into Conner's eyes. Damnit, he was giving her that puppy dog look that he'd used on her in High School.

"Conner," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm sorry, but having the very recent memory of Trent walking in on us in my head has effectively gotten me out of the mood," she said. Conner grinned.

"What if I got you back in the mood?" He asked, holding her closer with one hand as the other traveled up her side and brushed against the side of her breast.

"Conner," she admonished. "So not the point," she muttered. Conner smirked a bit as he felt her lean into his touch even as she said this.

"All right," Conner said. "How about you think about the point and tell me about it later," he said before lightly pushing her back on the bed. Kira propped herself up on her elbows.

"And if I don't?" She asked. Conner grinned as he slowly moved on top of Kira.

"Then you'll just have to be punished." He replied.

"Oh really?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, really," Conner replied before taking her lips in his. Kira sighed, giving up on trying to resist him. Conner's hands moved as he took off her pants and underwear again and untied the blanket from his waist. His hands took hold of her hips before turning them over so she was on top of him. Kira looked at him. "I say we pick up right where we left off," he grinned. Kira bit her lip, smiling.

"I guess that's okay," she said. They sat up, resuming their previous position. She sighed with delight when his mouth came to her breast again, making her move rapidly against him. Her hands buried themselves back into Conner's hair and she began to pick up the speed of her thrusting against Conner. Conner's mouth left her breast as he buried his face in her chest, too caught up in the moment to make a coherent thought, let alone focus on her breast. One of his hands left her back and rested on the outer side of her straining and moving thigh, his eyes squeezing shut as they got closer and closer to the crescendo of their lovemaking. Kira threw her head back, her mouth hanging open as she felt an explosion in side her, which was quickly followed by one in Conner, judging the tightened grip on her leg. They rode out the waves, still moving as their orgasms died down. Kira leaned against him, her head on his shoulder as she fought to catch her breath once they had stopped moving. "That," she panted out against his skin. "Was…" she trailed off, unable to form another word, her mind still recovering from the intensity.

"Yeah," Conner agreed. They stayed in their positions for a few moments, content as they were. "Maybe we should get some of that sleep that was suggested earlier." Conner commented, feeling his eyelids dropping. His brows furrowed at the lack of response from his partner. He lifted his head to look at her, and couldn't help smile at what he saw. Kira was peacefully sleeping against his shoulder. "Glad to see you agree," he chuckled softly to himself. Conner carefully lay back in the bed, taking her down with him. Once his back was on the bed, he shifted, turning on his side and bringing Kira down on the bed as well. He was glad the blanket he had previously had around his waist hadn't gone too far, seeing as he was too tired to search for it. He simply put his hand down to his side and grabbed the edge of the blanket. He threw his arm back around Kira, bringing the blanket up and over them both as he did so.


	6. The First Fight

_Kira struggled against the invisible force that held her back, her body trembling as tears filled her eyes. In front of her, Conner was facing a dark, shadowy figure. _

"_Conner!" She screamed as she saw a knife plunge into Conner's chest. Conner's face was a mixture of pain and shock as his eyes fell on her. "No!" Kira sobbed. Conner fell to the ground. Kira struggled even harder against the force holding her back. "Stop, please!" The shadowy figure stood over Conner's body. Kira's eyes were glued to the scene before her as she watched the figure slice open Conner's neck. "No!"_

"_Kira!" She hard a voice in the distance. Kira felt someone shaking her shoulder. Kira broke free from the force as the figure disappeared. She ran to Conner's body, her body shaking with sobs as she lifted his head on her lap. _

"_No, Conner, you can't leave me," she sobbed._

"_Kira, I'm right here, I'm right here," the distant voice spoke again._

Kira's eyes snapped as she quickly sat up, breaking free from her nightmare. She panted as soft sobs came out of her mouth. Her head snapped to the side as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She blinked, seeing Conner staring at her with concern. Kira closed her eyes as fresh tears filled her eyes.

"Conner," she whimpered as she latched onto him, her face burying in his chest. Conner slowly wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back.

"It's okay," he said. "Whatever it was, it was just a dream." Kira sobbed against his chest.

"It felt so real," she sobbed. "I thought he killed you."

"Who, Kira, who?" Conner asked.

"The thing……..that got Max……I……….I couldn't stop it," Kira said. Conner sighed, understanding that Kira had had a nightmare about what Tommy told them concerning Max Cooper's death. Conner continued to rub her back for a few moments until her tears had mostly subsided. "Don't leave me," she said softly. "Don't ever leave me." Conner kissed the top of her head.

"That's the last thing I'd ever do," he whispered against her hair.

"Promise?" She asked, pulling away slightly from him and looking into his eyes. Conner wiped away the tears on her face and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"I promise," he said. Kira sighed, feeling effectively reassured by his words and embrace. Conner lay down in the bed and pulled her down as well. Once they were both lying in the bed, Conner snaked an arm behind her back and pulled her close, making her snuggle against him, her head resting on his chest. "You were talking in your sleep," he said.

"Did I wake you?" Kira asked. She paused, seeing how much this resembled the night before, except their roles were reversed.

"No," Conner said. "I was already awake," he added. "Just….watching you in your nightmare, scared the crap out of me," he admitted. Kira snuggled closer to him.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. She could feel Conner shaking his head as she clung onto him.

"Don't ever be sorry. I'm just glad that I was here." He replied. Kira smiled softly.

"So am I," she said. She placed a hand on his chest, curling her fingers a bit as she gently caressed his skin. Conner smiled.

"Why don't you try getting a bit more sleep?" He told her as he played gently with her hair. "I'll be right here." He promised. He felt Kira shiver against him.

"I don't think I'll ever want to fall asleep again," she said softly. Conner tightened his hold on her, reassuring her of his presence.

"I'm right here," he told her. "I'll make sure no more nightmares enter your mind," he added with a smile. Kira tilted her head to look up at him.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" She asked.

"By filling your head with nothing but pleasant thoughts," he said before lifting his head a bit and catching her lips in a slow, soft kiss. Once it was over, he smiled at her. "Did that work?" He asked. Kira smiled.

"I'm not sure, you better try it again," she said. Conner laughed.

"As you wish," he said as he kissed her again. As they pulled away, Kira smiled.

"Better... but not good enough." Conner grinned and kissed her deeply this time. As he kissed her, one of his hands snuck down to her side and tickled her lightly, causing her to squirm. Kira pulled away from him slightly.

"Hey," she protested as she squirmed against her. "That's not playing fair," she said.

"Who ever said anything about playing fair?" Conner chuckled. Kira frowned and lightly smacked his chest with her hand, causing Conner to laugh a bit before turning somewhat serious. "Feeling better?" He asked. Kira nodded. "Good," he said. He pulled her chest back down to his chest before grabbing the blanket, which had fallen to their waists, and pulling it up over their bodies again. He made sure the blanket was tucked snuggly around Kira. "Now, sleep," he said softly, gently stroking the side of her head. Kira let out a contented sigh before slowly falling asleep again. Conner lay next to her, thinking about what she had said. This wasn't the first time someone other than himself had experienced these nightmares. He knew that Ethan had been having these dreams as well. He had never said who was being murdered, but he always mentioned the presence of this figure in green. Conner decided to shrug it off. There was no explanation for Ethan's dreams, but there was some to Kira's. She had heard the gruesome details from Tommy just a few hours before. They were fresh in her mind. The horror found itself into her dreams, giving her the role of Danny Delgado in being forced to watch this act, and giving Conner the role of Max, the victim. Thinking a bit more, he decided to keep an eye on Kira's nightmares to make sure that she didn't have them again. He had learned in University from an elective course in Psychology that dreams could hold some meaning. But for now, he decided to simply let her sleep and be there to comfort and reassure her should the nightmare return.

---

A few hours later, much to her surprise, Kira awoke to an empty bed. Sitting up slightly and pulling the covers around her, she looked out the window and noticed that the sun was setting and it was growing dark. Glancing over at the clock, she noticed that it was almost 8pm. Slowly, she climbed out of the bed and began putting her clothing back on. She found it a little strange that Conner had gone back on his promise to her and hadn't been there when she woke up, but shrugged it off, given the late hour. As she did up her blouse, her stomach gave a rather large grumble. Chuckling more to herself than anything else, she headed out of the room and downstairs. The smell of pizza hit her nostrils the second she got downstairs; telling her there was food to be found in the kitchen. She slowly walked there and saw Conner putting five boxes of pizza on the table.

"That's a lot of pizza," she said from behind him. Conner turned to her and gave her a smile.

"I figured it'd be a good idea to stock up on food that doesn't take up a lot of time to cook and reheats really well in case we're too busy to cook for the next few days," he said. She smiled at him and his ability to plan ahead.

"That is a good idea." She replied as she moved over to the fridge and pulled out a Brita Jug full of water and placed it on the table. She turned back around and grabbed four glasses from the cupboard above the sink and placed them on the table near the water. "Where are Trent and Tommy?"

"Still sleeping, I'd assume," Conner said. "They were conked out when I left, and I don't think they've woken up yet," he said. He turned to her, putting an arm around her waist as he pulled her close. "I'm sorry I broke my promise," he said sincerely, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I just thought having food ready for when everyone wakes up, most likely hungry, would be a good idea." Kira looked up at him. She was touched that he apologized like that, and even more touched by the regret over breaking the promise that shone in his eyes. Kira smiled at him.

"It's okay," she said. "Besides, buying food is very important," she added with a grin. As if on cue, her stomach gave a little growl to draw her hunger to the attention of the pair. Conner grinned at her.

"Why don't you grab a couple of slices then and head into the den? I figured that we'd watch TV while we ate before getting back to work." He replied, pressing a kiss to her lips. Kira nodded.

"Sounds good," she said. She grabbed two plates from the cupboard as Conner filled two glasses with water. Kira opened one box to take out some slices and paused at what she saw, a smile coming to her lips. The large pizza pie was half plain and half ham and pineapple. "You remembered," she said softly, surprised that Conner had remembered that she loved Hawaiian style pizza. She remembered back when she, Conner, Trent and Ethan would all go out for pizza when they were in high school, Conner would make a face at her chosen slice and tell her that fruit on pizza was just wrong. Conner smiled at her.

"Of course I did," he said. Kira looked at him, her heart fluttering at how touched she felt and how romantic this all felt to her. If this was what it was like to be with Conner, she wished she hadn't waited ten years to admit her feeling to him. Had she known what he was like in this type of situation, she would've jumped on him the second she met him. "What?" He asked. He paused. "Let me guess, you don't like those toppings anymore," he sighed. Kira quickly went over to him.

"No, no," she said. "It's not that," she said. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I do like it. I'm just……so….." She paused. "It's so sweet, Conner, really. I guess it just surprised me, how sweet you're being." Conner smiled.

"You deserve it," he said, planting a kiss on her nose.

"Okay, why am I the one who walks in on things like this?" A voice behind them joked. Kira spun around to see Trent standing in the doorway of the kitchen with a smirk on his face. The smiles on both Kira and Conner's faces were quickly wiped away as they pulled away from each other, blushing. "Although, am relieved to see that this time you guys have clothes on at least," Trent joked. Conner threw his friend a glare as Kira's blush intensified.

"It's not like you saw anything," Conner said, almost snapping. Trent put up his hands in an 'I come in peace' kind of sign.

"Whoa, sorry," he said. "I was just joking." He said. He looked around; now feeling like an idiot for making a joke about something that mortified them just as much as it had mortified him. "Oh look, pizza," he said, hoping to change the subject.

"Trent..." Kira started as he grabbed a piece of pizza. Trent turned and looked at her.

"Don't worry, I won't tell Tommy... At least for not now... But I do have questions." He assured her as he devoured his food.

"You won't tell Tommy…..for now?" Kira asked, not liking how the 'for now' sounded.

"What kind of questions?" Conner asked, suspiciously. Trent looked at them, swallowing a bite of pizza he had just taken. His eyes fell on Kira first.

"Look, your secret is safe for me. Not that I think this should be a secret, mind you. I'll respect whatever wishes you guys have about keeping this quiet. But keep in mind, that if you guys plan on sneaking around like this for ages, it won't be healthy for not only our group, but on you guys as well." Kira couldn't help smile a bit as the insightful nature Trent had back in high school still remained. Trent then looked at Conner. "And dude, not _those _kinds of questions."

"Thank god." Conner breathed out. He was relieved that Trent wouldn't be asking any _personal_ questions. "And we weren't planning on sneaking around," Conner added. He shrugged a bit. "We just……didn't really know how to reveal this to you guys," Conner admitted.

"And you walking in on us wasn't quite the type of reveal we had in mind," Kira muttered, shooting a glare at Conner. Trent chuckled.

"It's partially my fault too. I should have waited until Conner said something before just walking in... Although, locking the door might have prevented that." He chided Conner. "Might be a good idea to keep that in mind now that there are other people here," he said.

"All right, all right," Conner groaned, feeling like he was getting it from both sides.

"So, these questions…." Kira said. She went over and grabbed a slice of her ham and pineapple pizza.

"Right," Trent said. "Uh……well, the first one…..how long?" Kira looked down, busying her mouth with a bite of pizza. To many people, the fact that she and Conner had only been together a few hours or almost a day, depending on where this pairing started, having been in bed with him, twice no less, could be seen a little scandalous. She prayed that Trent wasn't one of those types of people.

"Uh, well, in a few hours it'll be a whole day," Conner said, scratching the back of his neck as he gave a small nervous chuckle. Though technically they didn't become a couple…..or whatever they were….until having there talk earlier that day, they were together last night. And providing the more technical answer would require more of an explanation that he, and most likely Kira, was comfortable with. Had either Kira or Conner had a camera, they would have been able to capture the look on Trent's face. His mouth dropped open and he began coughing on the sip of water that he'd taken. Once he was able to stop coughing, he looked at them.

"Uh…..well……it's nice that you guys aren't…….uh…..wasting any time?" Trent offered, figuring he should respond in some way. He took a breath. "I mean…I'm happy for you guys," he said.

"You're not going to get all…judgmental…are you?" Kira asked tentatively. Trent shook his head.

"No," he said. "I mean, yeah, it's surprising, but it's not like you guys are strangers," he reasoned. Kira and Conner looked at each other. That had gone a lot better than they expected.

"Next question?" Conner asked. Trent shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess that's it for now." He replied.

"All right then," Kira said. "So, should we go sit in the den and watch TV?" She said, voicing Conner's previous suggestion. Trent and Conner nodded.

"Sounds good," Trent said. "Although, Kira, if you're planning on not telling Dr. Oliver about you guys right now, I'd hide that hickey on your neck," he said, pointing to the hickey she had spent time covering up earlier. The concealer must've faded or she'd sweated it off before with Conner. Kira sighed, rolling her eyes as her hand shot out and whacked Conner's arm as he and Trent chuckled a bit.

"You mean the hickey I saw right away when we got here?" All of them jumped when Tommy walked into the kitchen. They had been so caught up in their conversation they hadn't heard him come down the stairs.

"Uh, hi Tommy." Conner commented. Kira's mouth was slightly agape, her hand covering her neck.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She muttered. Tommy chuckled.

"Uh huh, sure," he said. He had seen the hickey pretty clearly when Kira hugged him and Trent but decided not to say anything. He wasn't about to pry into his former student's love life. At least not yet anyways... A few hours was enough time to give them before he'd decided to pry.. And Trent had started the ball rolling for him.

"So how's about them Dodgers?" Conner questioned. Tommy chuckled again.

"Let's eat," Kira mumbled quickly, just wanting the conversation to end. She grabbed another slice of pizza and put it on a plate, quickly walking out of the room to go to the den. Trent quickly followed her lead and went into the den, leaving Conner and Tommy alone to talk.

"Look, Conner. Whatever you and Kira do, it's not any of our business, as long as you two are happy together and are being safe." He commented. Conner just looked at him. Tommy blinked.

"You are being safe...Right?" Tommy asked. Tommy and Kim's eldest hadn't exactly been a planned pregnancy, but they accepted it anyways. The last thing that the former Dino rangers needed was for Kira to end up pregnant as well. Conner scratched his head for a minute. He didn't have any condoms in his room, let alone the house.

"Uh, can I get back to you on that?" Conner asked sheepishly.

"Conner," Tommy said, his voice having the same kind of tone it'd get back ten years ago if a student didn't have their homework.

"I guess….both times we were just caught up in the moment and didn't-" he paused, not meaning to reveal how many times he and Kira had been together. Tommy waved his hand dismissively.

"First of all, I didn't need to know the amount of times," Tommy chuckled a bit. "Second of all, you guys need to be careful. You don't need to deal with the added pressure of worrying about whether or not you guys are going to be parents." Conner nodded.

"I understand, Dr. O," he said. He paused. "Whatever happened though…..I do love her…..I'd take care of her, and anyone else that might come along." Tommy smiled at the younger man.

"I wouldn't doubt that for a second," he said. "Just make sure you guys are careful from this point on." Conner nodded before they got their own pizza and joined the hours in the den. Since his and Kira's secret was out completely, Conner had no hesitation about scrunching next to her in the armchair she was sitting in, making her hip and one of her legs lay on his lap. Conner grinned when Kira gave him a dirty look and quickly pressed a kiss to her cheek before turning his attention to the television. Two hours quickly passed as the group ate their pizza and watched TV. As the ten o'clock news came on TV, they all figured it was time they did some work. Conner and Kira offered to take the cups and dishes to the kitchen while Trent and Tommy went downstairs. Tommy figured Conner wanted the time to speak with Kira alone so he put his hands on Trent's shoulders in a paternal fashion and steered him to the lab with him when Trent offered to help with the dishes.

Once Kira and Conner were in the kitchen, Kira started washing the dishes, not wanting them to just sit in the sink. Conner stood beside her, watching her as she placed once recently cleaned cup in the nearby drying wrack.

"Kira," he said after a moment. Kira looked at him. "I uh…just wanted you to know…if something happens…I'll be here for you, no matter what." Kira shut off the water as she turned to fully face him, a questioning expression on her face.

"Conner, what the hell are you talking about?" She questioned. God he could be really confusing at times. Conner sighed.

"I'm just saying…if……what's gone on between us…..leads to something unexpected……I'll take care of you and…" he trailed off, looking away nervously. Kira's mouth made a small O as she finally understood what he meant.

"You mean the fact that we haven't really thought about condoms?" She asked. Conner looked at her and nodded. Kira bit her lip, as the thought sank into her mind. Truth be told, before he called her about Ethan's death, she hadn't seen or heard from him in years. She didn't know much about his life. "I…….I'm assuming I have nothing to worry about….in terms of-" Conner's eyes widened, getting what she meant.

"Kira, I swear, it's not like that," he said. He looked down, suddenly feeling like he was a little high school freshman inexperienced in life and other things. "You've been…..the first person…..in a really, really long while."

"How long?" Kira asked, curious. Conner sighed.

"Six years," he admitted. Kira stared at him, eyes wide with shock.

"Oh... Okay then." She replied, having nothing else to say. Conner rubbed a hand over his face. He really didn't intend for this to go into the direction of past lovers, but since she had opened the door for that, he couldn't help ask.

"How long…..for you?" He asked. Kira fidgeted nervously with her fingers.

"Uh, let's just say not as long as…uh…you…" she said, praying he'd drop it there. It wasn't like she'd been with someone the night before Conner saved her from her house in Reefside. The last time she slept with someone was almost six months ago, but hearing how long it'd been for him made her feel a little less than pristine. Conner looked at her.

"Kira." He pressed on. Kira sighed; she really didn't want to tell him. "You should be able to tell me anything." He commented softly. Kira closed her eyes.

"Six months," she said. Conner pursed his lips, taking it in. A part of him felt jealous, like he wanted to hunt down whomever this guy and any other guys in the past, and kill them for touching his Kira. But the more rational part of his mind poked the air out of that thought. She wasn't _your _Kira back then.

"Oh," was all he could think to say.

"And now you can see why I didn't tell you." She muttered, focusing back on the dishes. Conner stared at her for a few minutes, debating if he should ask her the question in his mind as she picked up one of the plates and began washing it.

"I don't have anything to worry about…do I?" He asked cautiously. Kira froze. Oh crap, Conner thought. Kira's jaw tightened as she slammed the plate back down with such force it broke in the sink. She spun to him, fire in her eyes as her wet hand flew across his face. Conner's head turned to the side a bit, touching his stinging cheek. Well, it's not like I didn't deserve that, he thought to himself.

"How dare you ask me a question like that," Kira said through clenched teeth. "Just because I wasn't celibate for over half a decade like you, doesn't mean I'm some diseased ridden whore," she said, tears filling her eyes. Conner looked at her. For the second time that day, he had made her cry. The first time, in his mind, was a misunderstanding so it wasn't totally his fault. There was no excuse for this time. Conner looked down, ashamed.

"Kira... I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that." He whispered. Kira's gaze hardened even more as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Didn't mean it like that?" She asked. "Well how else was it supposed to come out? Even if I'd been with someone just a week ago, I'm not an idiot. I'm careful. I'm not some total slut who just sleeps with any guy without knowing anything about him. Well, that is, until…" She trailed off, crossing her arms. Conner's jaw tightened as her words struck his heart.

"I never said you were a slut. And I'm not just any guy," he said.

"You might not have said it, but it was implied Conner!" She snapped. Conner stared at her.

"You're the one who brought up asking that question!" He said.

"No," Kira shook her head. "I didn't ask. I was telling you that I was sure I didn't have anything to worry about. I trusted you. I didn't think there was anything to worry about, and even if there had been, I knew you would've told me before we did anything in the first place." Kira wiped at her cheek. "So not only did you imply I'm a slut, but you're also saying that I wouldn't have told you if there was anything to worry about." Conner sighed. There was no way he was going to win here.

"I don't even know what to say, because it seems like every time I open my mouth, you just get more and more pissed off at me." Conner remarked, moving away from Kira. "All I wanted to do was tell you that if us having unprotected sex led to you being pregnant, you wouldn't have to worry because I'd be here for you…..and somehow I've turned out to be seen as some jerk that implied you're a slut. So I think it's best if I just walk away." He finished before turning on his heel and leaving the room. Kira bit her lip as she took in what he had just said. She sat down on one of the chairs at the kitchen table, burying her head in her hands.

---

Conner went downstairs to join Trent and Tommy. When he got to the lab, he saw both of them staring at him expectantly.

"What happened?" Trent asked the second he was down the stairs.

"We heard some yelling," Tommy added. Conner glared at Tommy.

"You suck," he said before walking past them and sitting at the computer. Both Trent and Tommy looked at each other, surprised.

"Uh, what?" Tommy asked, thoroughly surprised. Conner swiveled in the chair to look at him.

"You, talking to me about being careful…….it made me want to tell her that if something happened, I'd be here. And somehow, that led into some variation of the past partners talk."

"Oooh," Tommy and Trent said, both wincing.

"And somehow she thinks I think she's a…." Conner was too frustrated to finish the sentence. "A what?" Trent pressed. Tommy shot him a look, basically telling him that it wasn't the time to try and make things worse. Conner sighed.

"A slut." He replied, slamming his fist against the computer desk. Tommy and Trent stared on in shock. Trent opened his mouth to say something but Tommy put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head, telling him to keep his mouth shut. Conner sighed as he stood up. "I guess you were right, Dr. O," he said. "Maybe we should just wait to do work until tomorrow," he said. "All I know is I can't deal with this computer stuff right now," Conner said and with that he left the room, walking up the stairs. Trent's eyes followed Conner as he headed back upstairs. He then turned to Tommy.

"Should we run some type of interference?" He asked, not knowing what else to do. Tommy shook his head.

"No," he said. "It's best if we let them work this out themselves," he advised.

---

As Conner walked into the kitchen, he was surprised to see Kira back at the sink, looking to be picking the broken plate up and putting the pieces into the garbage. He'd managed to get to the door before he heard her gasp and drop the piece of the plate to the floor.

"Damn it!" She heard her hiss in pain. Conner couldn't stop himself as he found his way back to the kitchen, standing behind her. He saw her holding her hand, which had a bleeding cut along the palm. Conner sighed and took her by the shoulders, turning her around. He took her hand and brought her back over to the sink. As he held her bleeding hand with one hand, he turned the faucet on with the other. Kira didn't resist as he led her hand under the cool water. She did flinch a bit at the cold contact on her open wound though. They were silent as the water washed the blood on her hand away. Conner shut the tap off after a minute and released her hand. He reached into the open cupboard above the stove and pulled out a first aid kit. He gently guided Kira over to the table and sat her down. He opened the box and began taking out some materials to work with. He then walked over to one of the drawers and grabbed some scissors before sitting down next to Kira.

"Give me your hand," he said, not looking at her. Kira obliged as she laid her hand on the table right in front of him. She too kept her head down. She heard him shake something before uncapping it. "This might sting a bit," he warned before spraying some antiseptic spray on the cut. Kira jumped in her seat, her head snapping up to him.

"A bit?" She hissed. Conner sighed.

"Right, sorry, apparently I can't do anything right tonight," he muttered somewhat bitterly, still not looking at her.

"Conner..." Kira began to speak. Conner's head shot up and looked at her, hurt in his eyes.

"I don't want to hear it Kira, just let me finish this and we can go back to ignoring each other." He snapped. Kira closed her mouth, somewhat startled by his tone. She looked off to the side to hide the tears collecting in her eyes. Conner set down the can of antiseptic spray and pulled the roll of bandages and tape closer to him. He picked up the roll of bandages and unrolled a bit before gently covering the gash on Kira's hand. He slowly wrapped the bandage around her hand, tightly enough that it wouldn't fall off, but loose enough so that he wouldn't cut off her circulation. Once he had wrapped her hand enough to his satisfaction, he set her hand down on the table and reached for the scciors. He cut the used portion of the bandage from the roll, before grabbing the tape and cutting off a piece and placing it on her hand to hold the bandage securely. "All right, done," he said curtly before standing up. Kira looked up, watching him as he walked towards the doorway of the kitchen.

"Conner," Kira called out in a shaky voice. Conner stopped but didn't turn back to her.

"Not now, Kira," he said. "I'm tired. You can yell at me some more tomorrow," he said.

"I don't want to yell at you." She replied, trying to keep her voice steady. Conner sighed and rubbed his face in his hand.

"Whatever," he said softly. "I'm done," he said, leaving the kitchen and going upstairs. Kira's breath hitched as she sobbed softly.

---

Upstairs, Conner walked into his room and all but slammed the door shut. He leaned against his door, his head tapping on the wood.

"Idiot," he muttered to himself. He sighed as he changed into black sweatpants and a red muscle t-shirt before shutting off the lights in his room and crawling into bed. He stared up at the ceiling, willing himself to sleep just so he didn't have to think anymore. But sleep decided to be stubborn as it did not come. He sighed and turned on his side facing the wall that connected his room and Kira's. He heard footsteps and the door next door open and shut, signaling Kira had gone to her room. Conner sighed and turned away from the wall, trying to block out any sounds that might come from the other side of the wall. A few minutes later, he heard more footsteps as one set went down one end of the hall and the other went next door. He distinctly heard knocking next door, followed by the door opening and the murmured voices of Trent and Kira. The inaudible conversation went on for a minute before he heard the door shut and Trent's footsteps continue to his room. Conner closed his eyes, praying for sleep to just come already.

About ten minutes later, he was still awake. He sighed and turned on his back. He stopped, listening carefully as he heard the door next door open and shut. He then heard Kira's footsteps cross the short distance to his room, followed by his door opening. Conner closed his eyes as the light from the hallway poured into his room. He figured if Kira thought he was asleep, she'd go away. No such luck, he thought to himself as he heard the door close and Kira's footsteps get closer to the bed. Conner turned to his side, facing the wall again, hoping she'd get the point that he was not to be disturbed.

His body froze as he heard the sound of her sniffling. Crap, she's crying, he thought to himself, opening his eyes. He was just about to turn over and face her when he felt pressure on the bed as she climbed into the bed next to him. He felt her press her body against his back, putting her head against his shoulder blade on the bed. He could feel the wetness of her tears on the back of his shirt. Conner couldn't take it anymore. He quickly turned to her, and without giving her a chance to react, pulled her in his arms, letting her put her face in his chest as she cried.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her hair. "I'm an idiot. A stupid, moronic idiot," he said.

"Conner," she sniffled.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Just shut up and hold me, please?" She asked. Conner couldn't help smile. Any other situation he'd be offended at being told to shut up, but when that's followed by being asked to hold her, he'd be stupid to object. His arms slowly curled around her and he held on tightly. They stayed like this for ten minutes as Kira's small sobs lessened to tiny hiccups before being done away with completely. Kira sighed and shifted in his arms as she pulled her arms from where they were curled in the space between her chest and his and put them around his waist. "I'm sorry," she said.

"So am I." Conner replied kissing her forehead gently. He felt Kira shake her head under his lips.

"You don't have any reason to be sorry. I was being stupid and hyper sensitive, and…" she stopped. Conner shifted to look down at her.

"And what?" He asked. He heard her mumble something. "Come again?" He asked. Kira sighed.

"PMSing.." She said softly, but loud enough that he could hear.

"Ah." Conner replied. He had taken health class...a long time ago, but he rembered that around 'that time of the month' a female could have some major mood swings. He cringed. That's why she'd been having mini-freak outs throughout the week, it now made complete sense. Kira looked up at him, wincing.

"Ugh, I shouldn't have said anything," she groaned, burying her head in his shoulder, too embarrassed to let him see her. Conner sighed and kissed her cheek. "It's okay." He replied against her cheek.

"I shouldn't have gotten so defensive," Kira said. "I mean….what you asked…it wasn't totally out of line. We've been out of each other's lives for such a long time; you had no way of knowing what to think." Conner sighed. Here he thought her yelling and slapping him was the worst thing to happen that evening. Somehow, hearing her beat herself up was even worse that when she was mad at him.

"But you were right," he said, tilting her head up so their eyes met. "If there was something wrong, you would've told me last night before anything happened," he said. He sighed. "I don't even know why I asked that question. It's not like I honestly thought anything different than everything being okay." Kira looked at him.

"So, why did you ask?" She asked. Conner sighed.

"I guess I was just….shocked about what you said about…well, your last time, it was the only thing that came out of my mouth," Kira looked down. Conner wanted to hit himself. "Not shocked like that," he quickly said. "I was jealous….." he stated honestly. Kira looked at him.

"Jealous?" She asked. Conner nodded. "Um, why?" Kira asked. She wasn't sure why, but it felt strangely nice that Conner was jealous of the last person she'd slept with. Now it was Conner's turn to feel embarrassed. He sighed.

"I was jealous of anyone who's ever seen you the way I have…both in a physical sense and in an emotional sense," he said softly. "I know that's stupid….and annoyingly possessive……I couldn't help it," he apologized. Kira bit her lip. Sure, it did sound a bit possessive on the surface, but also very sweet and romantic.

"It's okay." She replied kissing him softly on the lips. Conner smiled at her. Kira reached up one hand and stroked his cheek.

"How in the world could you possibly love a hypersensitive freak like me?" She asked. Conner grinned.

"Because you're a pretty cute hypersensitive freak," he joked, kissing her. "Besides," He continued. "You're not always like this, and even if you were like this all the time, I'd still love you." He replied as he pulled her close. "Besides," He continued. "You're not always like this, and even if you were like this all the time, I'd still love you." He replied as he pulled her close. Kira snuggled into his embrace, loving the feel of his arms around her.

"Conner?" She asked.

"Hmm?"

"Did you mean what you said? About being there if something happened?" Conner looked down at her.

"Yes," he said. Kira smiled. She knew he meant it. When he said it, even if it was during their argument, she knew it wasn't just something a guy says out of duty and 'doing the right thing'. Conner loved her and would be there for her no matter what. She kissed him lightly.

"I'm on the pill, so we wouldn't have had anything to worry about," she informed him.

"Oh," Conner said. "Wait, you mean the pill you didn't take for three days because well, I'm assuming when I brought you here they were still in Reefside?" He asked. "Isn't there a chance they'll lose their effectiveness if you miss that many days?" Kira chuckled.

"Well, don't you get a gold star for paying attention in health," she joked. "That would be the case if it wasn't for the fact that, duh, I'm on the placebo week," Conner gave her a blank look. Kira giggled and explained it to him. Once she was done, Conner slowly nodded.

"And with that, I think, aside from male gynecologist, I know more about birth control than any man should." Kira kissed Conner lightly, licking her lips as she pulled away.

"While that might be true, at least you have some sort of knowledge about it now, and it allows us to keep doing what we've been doing... 99.8 consequence free." She replied. Conner laughed.

"And you know, that one week of no fun." He replied. Kira looked at him, grinning like a Cheshire cat. That grin was a little unnerving.

"Just because we can't do _that_, doesn't mean there'd be no fun," she said. Conner gulped slightly.

"Oh?" He asked. "Oooooh," he finally understood when he felt her hand on the front of his sweat pants. Kira laughed a bit before taking her hand away. Conner looked at her.

"No make-up se….well, sex substitute, tonight," she grinned before innocently snuggling up against him as if to go to sleep. Conner gave her a playful glare.

"You're cruel," he said. Kira just grinned at him.

"And I don't even have to try." She replied. Conner sighed and simply held her. He smiled when a thought occurred to him.

"I just thought of something," he said.

"Hmm?" She asked.

"We survived our first fight as a couple," he pointed out. Kira looked up at him, her heart fluttering at the sound of him referring to them as a couple. She smiled softly.

"Yeah, we did." She said. She heard Conner yawn a bit. "Am I boring you?" She joked. Conner smiled and kissed her temple.

"You could never bore me," he said.

"Good." She replied as she snuggled closer to him. She smiled as he yawned again. "You didn't sleep much before, did you?" She asked, referring to the fact that given her long sleep before, she wasn't tired yet. Conner shook his head.

"Just watched you," he admitted. Kira blushed. She kissed his chin.

"Go to sleep," she said. Conner shook his head like a child not wanting to abide by bedtime rules.

"Uh uh," he said. "Want to stay awake with you," he said, holding her closer. Kira chuckled.

"You need to sleep Conner." She chided him.

"I like staying awake and looking at you," he said mid-yawn. Kira shifted in the bed so she was now resting her back on the pillows as she pulled him close and have him rest his head on her chest. She ran her fingers through his hair and stroked his face as her other hand rubbed his back.

"I promise you can look at me tomorrow," she giggled. Conner fought to keep his eyes open as the sensation of her hand stroking his face and the hand on his back had the desired relaxing affect. Within minutes, Conner was fast asleep while Kira continued to stroke his face and rub his back. Kira smiled; glad she had been successful in getting him to sleep. She slowly inched down in the bed, careful not to jar him as she settled back in bed. She laid a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"I love you," she whispered.


	7. First Encounter

Small mutters and the occasional tapping of keys was all that filled the silence of the basement when Kira and Trent made their way downstairs with cups of coffee in each hand. Conner and Tommy seemed to be more than knee deep into their work and had been for the entire morning, as well as the majority of the afternoon.

"How's it coming along?" Kira asked as she came over to Conner and placed one of the cups by him. She put a hand on his shoulder and massaged it gently.

"Slowly, very slowly," Conner said, his eyes not leaving the large computer screen before them. Tommy nodded in agreement.

"Have you been able to locate anything?" Trent asked as he placed Tommy's cup in front of him. The older man shook his head.

"Unfortunately, no we've had some spotty location grabs, but they're so sporadic that it could be anything." Tommy replied as he tapped a few more keys.

"Sporadic?" Kira questioned. "How so?"

"Every time we think we've got a trace on this psycho in green, the reading just disappears off the map as quickly as it appears," Conner explained.

"What do you think it means?" Trent asked.

"Well, both Dr. O and I suck at this, or we're dealing with Nightcrawler here….my feeling is it's the former," Conner sighed.

"Well, isn't it possible that he's got teleportation like you do Conner?" Trent asked. Kira looked at Trent and then to Conner.

"It would explain how he got from here to my house that night." She replied. "I mean it's not like he could have taken a plane or anything... So unless he has super-speed like Conner used to, I think it's something we should consider." Kira finished. Tommy looked up, his fingers pausing on the keyboard.

"That does make sense," he said. He shifted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "When Danny was telling us about Max's confrontation with the green ranger, he did say that the green ranger seemed to just appear out of nowhere." Conner stopped.

"Okay, so we're dealing with someone who is not only a homicidal maniac but can also appear anywhere he wants to in the blink of an eye," Conner said.

"Unfortunately, this doesn't help with trying to track him," Tommy said. There was silence for a few minutes before the alarms began to sound.

"Right, as if we didn't have enough to deal with." Conner grumbled as he pulled up the video screen. The scene that appeared before them was that of total destruction. They saw a horde of creatures in white from head to toe terrorizing citizens in the center of town.

"What are those things?" Kira asked, taken aback.

"My guess is, the white creatures Carter and Danny talked about," Tommy replied as they watched the carnage. Trent stood up from where he'd sat on one of the empty computer chairs.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing! We need to go and fight." He told them, putting his coffee cup down. Kira nodded.

"I agree... Whatever those are, they're killing people and we need to stop it." She replied. Conner looked at both of them.

"We don't have any powers... The morphers aren't ready yet." Trent shrugged.

"We can do it." He replied. Tommy looked at them all.

"Strength in numbers guys." He commented, also standing. "We need to make sure that what happened to Max and Ryan doesn't happen to us." The trio before him nodded.

"Let's do this." Conner replied as they headed upstairs. The shouts and screams of the innocent victims spurned them onwards.

Once upstairs, they raced outside to Conner's car, where they all piled in as Conner sped away from the house. What seemed like forever later, the group filled rolled up a few streets away from the attack. They quickly unloaded themselves from the car and took off at a run towards the core of the city. Once they got there, they saw total mayhem before them. The creatures in white were, mysteriously and perplexingly, no where to be seen. But the streets and sidewalks reeked of evidence of their brutality. All around them, there were dead bodies and some injured people withering on the ground. Some of those with less serious injuries were trying to tend to those in need. Cars and structures engulfed in flames littered the space between them.

"All right," Tommy said. "We need to help these people." The others nodded and spread out, going to the streets. Tommy went towards the curb, trying to see if there were people trapped in cars.

"Ugh!" He heard someone yell, followed by the sound of someone yanking on the handle of a car door. Tommy looked through the fumes coming off the flames and saw the back of a female with long dark hair, tying to force open a car door. Tommy went over to her.

"Hey, you need to get out of here," he said as he approached her. The girl turned to look at him. Tommy saw that she was relatively young, at least compared to him, and of Asian descent.

"Gee, I'd really love that but there's a kid stuck in here," the woman snapped at him. Tommy got closer, sure enough there was a girl, who looked to be about Allison's age, sitting in the backseat of the car, staring up at them with wide fear-filled eyes. In the front of the car, a woman Tommy assumed was the little girl's mother, sat with her head pressed against the driver side window, a large bleeding wound on the side of her head.

"You know them?" Tommy asked as he went to one of the doors and tried pulling it open.

"No," The woman said. "I heard the kid screaming and came over," she said. "Don't bother with the door; I've already tried them all."

"Please help mommy," the little girl said, her voice coming from one of the windows being open just a crack. Tommy cursed slightly under his breath. The opening wasn't big enough to try and get a hand through to open the door from the inside.

"We will," Tommy said, speaking to the girl in a soft voice. "What's your name?" He asked the little girl. She looked at him, tears in her little blue eyes.

"Abby," she said.

"Okay, Abby, my name's Tommy," he said. "Do you think you can open the door for me?"

"Child lock," The Asian woman said from the other side of the car. "Told you, I've already tried." Tommy sighed. The woman's attitude wasn't helping the situation. He looked around, pausing when he saw a trashcan on its side. He stopped pulling on the door he was at, standing up straight. He looked at the woman.

"Tell her to get down and cover her head," he told her as he rushed to the trashcan. Behind him, he heard the woman standing by the crack in the window, relaying the message. He picked up the trashcan and brought it back to the car. He stood by the back windshield. He saw that the girl was curled under the backseat, lying on her stomach, covering her head with her little hands. "Get back," Tommy told the woman. The woman took a few steps back. Tommy hefted the trashcan in his hand and smashed it into the back windshield. The glass shattered beneath the can. Once the glass was done away with, Tommy threw the can aside and reached his arms into the car. "Come on," he gently coaxed Abby. Abby peaked up at him. She went to put her hands on the backseat to pull herself up. "Don't touch the glass," he warned softly. He leaned further into the window, hissing a bit as he felt shards of glass dig into his arm. Abby reached for his outstretched hands and Tommy pulled her to her feet. Once the girl was standing, he wrapped one arm around her waist and put the other behind her head as he slowly lifted her up, pulling her over the backseat. He pulled her out of the broken window head first, carefully guarding her from the shards of glass. Once he had her out of the window, he set her down on the trunk of the car, where the woman was there to pick her up. "Get her out of here," Tommy told the woman.

"What about mommy?" Tommy heard the girl protest. Tommy looked at her.

"I'll get her, don't worry," he said. With that said, he slowly climbed in through the window. He tried to avoid the broken glass to the best of his ability. He climbed through to the front of the car, sitting in the passenger seat. Beside him, he heard soft moaning. Tommy was a little relieved at the sound, indicating that the woman in the car wasn't dead.

"Ma'am?" Tommy said, leaning over to her. He carefully put a hand under her neck and slowly tilted her head towards him. "Ma'am, can you hear me?" He asked her. The woman moaned, scrunching her face as she slowly came to.

"Ye….yes…" she said. She kept her eyes closed as her hand came up to touch the wound on her head. "Whe…….where's my daughter?" She asked.

"She's all right," Tommy assured her. "We need to get you out of here," he said. "Can you sit up?" He asked. The woman nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I think so," she said. She opened her eyes, slowly shifting in the seat as she sat up.

"Good," he said. "Your doors are stuck, you're going to have to climb out the back, can you do that?" He asked. The woman nodded. Tommy leaned back as the woman unhooked her seatbelt and shifted, crawling out of her seat towards the back. Tommy heard her groan slightly as her hands came in contact with the broken glass. Once she was at the backseat, Tommy shifted and went to follow her.

"Give me your hand," he heard someone say ahead of them. He looked up to see the woman he had left Abby with reaching her hand in to help Abby's mother out. He saw the top of Abby's head just below the line of the car, indicating that the little girl was most likely clinging to the woman's leg. Abby's mother reached out and let the woman pull her out of the broken windshield.

"Mommy!" He heard Abby exclaim once her mother was out of the car. He saw the mother quickly pick up her daughter, hugging her close. As Tommy accepted the outstretched hand that waited for him, the mother looked at them.

"Thank you, thank you both so much," she said. Tommy climbed out of the car and slid off the trunk, letting his feet touch the ground. He put a hand on each of the women's shoulders, leading them to the curb.

"You're welcome," he said to Abby's mother. "Now get out of here, both of you." Abby's mother was more than happy to oblige as she clutched her daughter close to her, running away from the wreckage. Tommy then turned to the woman.

"You need to get out of here as well." He commented. She blinked, her eyes staring at all the destruction on the streets.

"Those things…" she muttered. "They were ruthless. They didn't care who they were hurting……..kids……elderly people……" Tommy sighed.

"Even more reason why you need to go," he said. The woman blinked, looking at him before slowly nodding.

"But what about you?" She asked. Tommy shook his head.

"I'll be fine, just go." He insisted. The woman stared at him, flabbergasted as to why he wouldn't take his own advice.

"Fine," she said. "Whatever you say, Mr. Hero," she added, rolling her eyes as she stepped back. "Be careful," she said with a shrug, as if trying to decide what would be appropriate parting words. With that, she turned and left, meshing into the crowds of uninjured people who were running away.

---

Not too far away, Trent was jogging through the wreckage. He stopped when he saw a man about his father's age sitting on the street, holding his head. He kneeled down by the man.

"Sir, are you all right?" He asked. The man looked up at him, dazedly.

"My head…" he muttered. Trent could see blood seeping out of the hand he had placed on his forehead.

"Can you walk?" He asked. The man looked uncertain. Trent stood up; taking the man's other arm. He put his hand on the man's back and gently pulled the man to his feet. "You need to get to a hospital," he said. He looked around. He knew the man couldn't leave on his own, as he could barely stand, but Trent couldn't leave the others to take him. He saw two boys who looked to be in their late teens, trying to get away from the wreckage, coming towards him. "Hey, hey," he said, getting them to stop. "Can you two get this man to the nearest hospital?" The boys looked skeptical, as if helping the man would hinder their escape, before one of them nodded.

"Yeah," he said. They came over as Trent shifted the man to them. Each boy took one of the man's arms and put them over their shoulders, holding him up as the three slowly left. Trent looked around, trying to see if there was anyone else in the same state as the man. He paused as he saw a young man, about his own age if not a little younger, who looked to be of Native American stock, with long hair pulled into a braid, crouching over an unconscious elderly man, pushing on his chest in an attempt to do chest compressions. Trent quickly went over to the scene, his hands reaching out and stopping the man's hands.

"You're doing that wrong," Trent informed him when the man gave him a sharp look. Trent crouched down beside the young man and looked down at the elder. He looked to also be of Native American heritage, with long gray, almost silver, hair.

"He's my neighbor," The young man said. "I was trying to get him out of here when he just collapsed….I think he had a heart attack." Trent placed his hands on the elderly man's chest as he resumed the young man's action, except this time he was pushing down harder on the man's chest.

"Breath into his mouth, and pinch his nose." Trent commanded. The young man nodded and did as he instructed. "Did he complain about any pain?" Trent asked as he continued the chest compressions. The young man gave him a blank look. "On his left side, any pain on his left side," Trent added quickly. The young man shook his head.

"No," he said. He saw Trent give him a nod, indicating to perform mouth to mouth again. He leaned over and breathed into his mouth. "But he's had heart attacks before," the man added after a few minutes. "Even still, he's too proud to admit to any discomfort, even if he was having any pain."

"Well, we'll keep trying this, and hopefully it'll work." Trent replied as he continued to push on the man's chest. After some time, Trent froze as he felt the man below him flinch before groaning and raising his hands to his chest.

"Mr. Hawk?" The young man spoke. The elder man groaned in response. "Mr. Hawk, are you all right?" He slowly helped the man sit up as he tried to breathe. Trent looked up as he heard sirens coming closer. He squinted as he saw a few ambulances coming to the scene.

"There's some help coming," Trent said. He put a hand on the young man's chest. "Make sure he gets in an ambulance," he instructed. The young man looked at Trent and nodded. Trent got up and went to see if anyone else needed help.

"Wait!" The younger man called as Trent began to walk away. Trent stopped and turned around. "What about you?"

"Don't worry about me," Trent said. "You just make sure your friend's all right and then get out of here," he advised. The man opened his mouth to protest when Mr. Hawk stopped him.

"Leave him, Mounted Warrior," he spoke in a raspy voice. "Your paths are not to converge just yet." Trent furrowed his brows, unsure what the man was talking about and was ready to simply toss it aside as something random spoken by an ill, possibly senile, older man. But something about how the younger man looked down at his companion and took what he said to heart struck him as even more strange than the phrase itself. The man nodded and looked back at Trent.

"Thank you," he said. Trent simply nodded and continued on his way, pushing the words aside as he focused on helping others. Not far from where Trent and Tommy had been, Kira was moving as quickly as she could to help those who had been injured. She'd never seen so much death and destruction before, not even in her days as a ranger... It was strange to see it, that much she knew. She hurried over to a young female who was huddled against the wall of a building, crying and holding her neck. Kira rushed over as quickly as she could, dodging a dead body of an old woman. Kira cringed; somehow she knew that they were too late. She dropped to her knees next to the younger girl.

"Are you okay?" She asked, putting her hand on top of the girls, on her neck. The girl shook her head.

"No, something cut my neck." She cried. Kira put her arms around the girl in an awkward hug.

"It'll be okay." She replied.

"Cassie!" Yelled a voice, Kira looked up to see a tall man who looked to be a few years older than the girl next to her. Kira had to blink for a second, taken aback by how much he resembled Conner back in their high school days. He ran over to them, sliding to his knees as he reached them.

"Whoa, whoa, settle down," Kira said as the man tried to reach for the girl.

"She's my little sister," the man stated.

"Hayden!" The girl sobbed. She tried to collapse in her brother's arm, but Kira's hold on her kept her still. "Hayden, I lost mom….We……we got separated……"

"Shh, shh," Hayden soothed. "It's okay. Mom's all right. She's just worried about you. What happened?" He asked. Cassie closed her eyes as more tears spilled out.

"Mom and I were running in a crowd…….and those white things were behind us……I felt something cut my neck and I fell……I…..I nearly got trampled by all the people." Hayden sighed and pulled his sister out of Kira's arms, holding the girl to him as she sobbed, gripping at her brother's shirt with her free hand.

"You're okay now," he told her. "I'm here, Cass, I'm right here," he soothed. Kira sat back and watched the siblings cling to each other. She looked over and saw a few ambulances coming to the wreckage. One parked not to far from them as two paramedics came out. Kira stood up and jogged over to one of them.

"There's a girl over there that's got a neck wound. It looks pretty deep. I don't think she should be moved or anything until you guys have a look at her," she informed him. The paramedic looked over Kira's shoulder and saw the scene Kira had just left. He nodded.

"We'll take care of it," he said. He motioned for his partner who was carrying a large med-kit to go over to the pair. Kira stood back and watched as the other paramedic kneeled by Hayden and Cassie, coaxing Hayden to let his sister go so he could examine the wound.

"Make sure they're okay," Kira said softly. Before the paramedic could tell her it was best she vacated the premises, Kira went off to see if there was anyone else who needed assistance. After a couple of hours, the scene was cleared. The seriously injured were taken away by the ambulances; the injured who were still able to walk were looked over by paramedics and sent off. Now all that remained was the dead, who the paramedics had left behind to make room for those who still had a chance. The streets covered with dead bodies chilled Kira down to her very core as she walked around, trying to see if anyone alive had been left behind.

"Well, it's so nice to see you all here," came a voice behind her. Kira gasped and spun around, stumbling back as she saw a figure dressed in a green ranger uniform. "It saves me the trouble to having to track you down," he said. Kira's eyes widened.

"You," she whispered as a rush of emotions came to her. "What are you doing here?" She demanded. The green figure chuckled.

"I'm finally going to finish what I set out to do last time I tried to kill you, pretty yellow ranger." He snarled as he stepped forward.

"Stay away from her!" She heard someone scream fiercely as a body slammed into the green ranger, tackling him to the ground.

"Conner, no!" Kira screamed, fearing the green ranger would hurt him. She raced forward and grabbed Conner's hand, helping him up into a standing position. Conner stood beside her, the two instinctively falling into defensive stances as the green ranger stood up. He looked at them and chuckled, shaking his head.

"You can't be seriously thinking you can fight me and win," he said.

"We can try!" Conner snapped back at him. Kira just rolled her eyes at Conner's attitude. The green ranger just laughed.

"Bring it." He commanded.

"We intend to," said a voice. The green ranger turned to see Tommy and Trent standing behind him. The green ranger laughed.

"Oooooh, you've got me surrounded. I'm utterly petrified," The green ranger sneered.

"Shut up and fight." Kira growled. The green ranger turned to face her and laughed.

"You really that impatient to die?" He asked.

"You going to talk down to us all evening or actually fight, you piece of crap?" Trent growled.

"Apparently he can only fight if he's got his buddies in white helping him out or a bomb handy," Conner said, glaring at the green ranger. "Dude has no honor, apparently." The green ranger turned slowly to face Conner.

"You are the one who has no honor! All you fight for is to destroy, and you don't care about anything else!" He shouted. Kira looked at him.

"What are you talking about? We fight so that we can save the world from freaks like you." She replied.

"You're the one who's been a little too destruction happy," Conner snapped. "Answer me this, do you just get off on killing innocent people?" He shouted, looking at the streets littered with dead bodies. The green ranger laughed again.

"I'm not the bad guy here. Believe it or not, if my master and I ruled the world, things would be so much better for everyone. No more violence or insubordination from people like you. Every evil that any ranger has faced has had the same ideals. But you foolish idiots get in the way and ruin everything!" He replied, venom in his voice. Trent looked at him.

"You seriously think that by forcing everyone to follow someone's sick and twisted idea of normal would stop that from happening?" He questioned. The green ranger nodded.

"Yes. But every time anyone with that idea tries to make it work, you pesky multi-colored freaks get in the way and ruin everything."

"Says the psycho in ranger's clothing," Conner muttered. The green ranger's head snapped towards him.

"I am nothing like you pathetic insects," The green ranger growled.

"You got that right," Tommy stated.

"Enough of this!" He shouted as he faced Conner and Kira again. "Now, we fight." He snarled as he moved towards them both quickly.

"Good," Conner said, his eyes narrowing. He placed a hand on Kira's wrist and pulled her behind him as he charged at the green ranger. He launched into a roundhouse kick. The green ranger laughed before snatched Conner's leg and flinging him away like a rag doll.

"Conner!" Kira exclaimed. Conner groaned as he fell to the ground, bouncing a bit on the pavement. Kira glared at the green ranger as he went to Conner. Kira growled as she ran at him, punching and kicking him.

"Stay," she grunted as she landed a punch to the green ranger's arm, "away," a kick to the ranger's leg, "from my," a kick to the ranger's side. "boyfriend!" One last kick to his groin. The green ranger stumbled back slightly before standing up and facing her.

"You stupid woman." He snarled as he walked forward.

"Oh no you don't!" Tommy said as he and Trent went at him. Each man took hold of one of the green ranger's arms, holding him back from Kira. Tommy's knee came up, striking the green ranger in the stomach. Kira took her free chance to run over to where Conner was still lying. She kneeled beside him as he groaned, pulling himself to a sitting position.

"Are you okay?" She asked. Conner looked at her and nodded.

"Yeah," he said. He smirked a bit at her. "Remind me never to tick you off while you're PMSing," he kidded, relying on his high school persona and trying to lighten the mood. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Come on," she said as she stood up, pulling him up to his feet. Conner slowly climbed to his feet and looked over to where Tommy and Trent were barely holding their own. The green ranger flung Trent off into a mailbox, his body denting it before crashing to the ground, and he flung Tommy up against a light post. Conner ran to Tommy as Kira went to Trent. They helped their friends up to their feet as the four regrouped, facing the green ranger.

"None of you will ever be able to defeat me! This ends now, and you all would have been wise to have left with your pathetic friends!" He laughed before moving back slightly. The rangers looked at each other for a few seconds before a deafing explosion filled their ears and they all began to fall forwards.

---

There was darkness for a bit before Kira realized what had happened. _'That bastard, he set off a bomb'_. She thought as she slowly sat up and looked around her. It seemed as if the ground had exploded in upon itself and brought them all down with it. The more she thought about it, she realized that it was better that the road had collapsed inward instead of outwards and hurting even more people. Slowly she stood up and looked down at her legs. Her jeans were covered in concrete dust and blood. Kira sighed.

"Guys?" She called out. She blinked as her eyes fought to see through the darkness. "Is anyone there?" She called again. "Conner? Trent? Dr. Oliver?" She tried. She began to get fearful as her calls were unanswered. She continued to move forward slowly as she came across someone lying face down in the mess of concrete. It was Conner! "Conner!" She exclaimed as she dropped to her knees, ignoring the shooting pain that followed. She shook him lightly. "Conner, come on, wake up," she pleaded. "Don't do this to me," she whispered as tears came to her eyes. She heard a soft cough come from under her. She held her breath, praying it was real and she wasn't just letting her hopeful mind play tricks on her. She sat back as Conner groaned and put his hands on the concrete, slowly pushing himself up. He shifted on the ground until he was sitting facing her. He looked at her.

"Kira," he said, coughing a bit from the dust he had inhaled. Kira closed her eyes and practically flew into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. Conner was nearly knocked backward but was able to maintain his balance as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," she whispered in his ear. He rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Sorry." He replied as she pulled away. She quickly checked him over and minus a few scraps and bruises, he seemed to be okay. Conner frowned at her before placing a hand on her cheek and turning it slightly.

"You're bleeding." He commented. Kira looked at him.

"What?" She replied. Conner nodded looking at her more closely. She had a deep cut above her right eye and another on her cheek. Her face seemed to be covered in more little minor cuts. There were a few gashes and bruises on her arms and one near her collar bone.

"Jesus..." He whispered. He then noticed that the bottom half of her jeans were torn and covered in blood. "Oh god, Kira," he muttered. Kira sighed and put a hand on under his chin, lifting his face back up so their eyes met.

"I'm okay," she said softly. Conner shook his head.

"Baby, you're…you're bleeding all over," he said. Kira sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," she said. "It doesn't hurt," she lied. Conner looked at her for a moment, not fully believe her.

"Alright." He said cautiously. "But the minute you start to feel pain.."

"I'll tell you." She promised. She felt bad lying to him that it didn't hurt, but she knew that he'd fuss and try and get her out of there as soon as possible, before they found Trent or Tommy. She knew that there was something stuck in her skin near her collar bone, and also in her legs, but she'd suck it up for now. "We should find the others," she said. She felt Conner nod as he stood up, making her sit up. He reached down and helped her up. "Ah!" She cried out as she put weight on her legs. Conner looked at her. Kira looked down. "I'm fine," she insisted. Conner sighed and put her arm around his shoulder. If she was going to be stubborn about her pain, he'd at least try his best to ease some of it.

"Lean on me," he said as he held her arm on his shoulders with one hand and put the other around her waist, holding her up. Kira sighed. _'Damn you pain system and betraying me.'_ She thought as she leaned against Conner and they started to walk through the lingering clouds of dust. Kira winced as the movement jarred her, making her think of her pain. Conner looked down at her. "Kira," he said. "Tell me the truth," he said, leaving it at that. Kira sighed.

"Conner, please, just…I'm fine. We need to find the others. Then we can worry about injuries," she said. Conner stopped walking.

"Kira, I'm not going to have you walk around here and make your injuries worse," he said.

"Well, I'm not leaving here until we find the others, so unless you plan on carry me, I-what are you doing!" She exclaimed as she felt Conner lean down, removing the hand on her waist and putting it under her legs as he hefted her up in his arms.

"Taking you suggestion," he simply stated. Kira opened her mouth to reply, and then closed it, having nothing left to say. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her.

"Guys?" They heard Trent's voice. Conner stopped and turned, seeing Trent slowly coming towards them. He rested against a cracked pillar, placing his hand across his torso as he held his side. "You guys okay?" He asked. He paused as he got a good look at Kira. "Oh my god," he muttered.

"I'm fine," Kira insisted. Conner rolled his eyes.

"What about you?" He asked, deciding not to address Kira's blatant stubbornness at the moment. Trent slowly walked the rest of the way towards them.

"I'm okay," he said. "Fell pretty hard on some concrete so my side's a little bruised, but other than that I think I'm okay," he said.

"Thank god you're okay." Kira replied honestly. Trent nodded.

"Any sign of Dr. O?" Trent asked. Both shook their heads.

"We haven't seen him," Conner said.

"Let's keep looking." Kira commented. Trent nodded.

"The sooner we get out of here, the better... god only knows that freak will probably come back if he finds out we're alive." He replied. The trio walked a bit further before the dust began to clear and they noticed a downed pillar. Kira was the first to notice that there was a set of legs sticking out from under it.

"Uh, guys.." She all but whispered, pointing towards the pillar. Trent's breath hitched in his throat.

"Oh god no." He commented before they moved forward quickly. There, pinned under the pillar with his eyes closed was Tommy. The pillar was covering 3/4 of his chest, but it looked like he was still breathing, albeit strained as best. Trent went to the far side of Tommy before kneeling down next to him. Conner belt down and slowly lowered Kira to the ground so that her back was resting against the pillar. He then knelt down beside Tommy as well.

"Tommy?" Conner called. There was silence for a moment before their former mentor slowly opened his eyes. He offered them a sad smile.

"You get need to get out of here." He told them softly, trying not to strain himself. Kira shook her head, trying to keep herself composed as she took his left hand in hers.

"No. We're gonna try and save you." She replied, her voice shaking. Tommy offered her a smile and shook his head.

"Guys... All three of you mean a lot to me, don't get me wrong. But that creep could come back at anytime. We lost Ethan, Max and Ryan to him... And you're about to loose me... You need to go." Trent shook his head.

"NO." He replied forcefully. Kira nodded.

"Once a Ranger..."

"Always a Ranger." Conner finished. Tommy smiled sadly before looking at Kira.

"Kira, take my ring and give it to Kim the next time you see her... Tell her I'll never stop loving her." He whispered as a tear slipped down his cheek. Kira, loosing her composure quickly, slid the ring off his finger and clutched it tightly.

"I'll miss you three very much." Tommy whispered. He felt Kira's hand clutch his harder, and Trent's hand press down harder on his shoulder.

"Tommy, what are we going to do without you?" He whispered. Tommy smiled at his former students.

"You'll carry on and keep going, everything will be okay eventually." He replied. And with that, his eyes closed, and his chest heaved for the last time... And he was gone.


	8. Recuperate

"No!" Kira sobbed. She heaved forward as sobs broke free. Her forehead touched Tommy's shoulder as the air was filled with her wailing sobs. Trent closed his eyes, his chin trembling as his tears slid down his face. Conner stared down at Tommy's face, tears silently rolling down his cheeks.

"We have to go," Conner said lowly after a few minutes. Kira shook her head.

"No, we can't…..we can't leave him here, not like this," she whimpered through her sobs.

"There's nothing we can do," Conner said sadly. He hated saying it, but it was the truth.

"No!" Kira insisted, sitting up and glaring at him through her tears. "He deserves better than this. We can't just leave him here. He wouldn't do that for any of us!" Trent looked down. Kira was, in a sense, very right. Tommy didn't leave Max and Ryan, even if it might've been safer to do so. And he would've done the same if any of them were trapped under the pillar instead of him. But Conner was right too, there wasn't anything they could do.

"Kira, he's pinned under a pillar which none of us can lift... We can't do anything." He replied as he clutched her hand. Kira looked down at Tommy. She knew Conner was right. She shook her head.

"I don't…want to leave him all alone," she said in a meek voice. Conner reached over and gently pulled her into his arms. He cradled her head against his chest with one hand as he smoothed her hair with the other. He understood her feelings. Tommy had been like a father…..or at least an uncle…to them all. Seeing him lying there was like losing a parent.

"He won't be alone," he whispered to her.

"Guys." Trent pressed as he stood. "We need to go." Conner looked down at Kira, who slowly nodded. The three of them gave their last goodbyes to their former mentor and teacher. Trent was the first to stand up, coming around to stand by Kira and Conner. Conner stood up before bending down and scooping Kira in his arms. With no protest, Kira allowed herself to be carried in Conner's arms. The walk back up to the surface was very quiet for the former rangers, tears still streaking down their dust covered faces. Trent and Conner, with Kira in his arms with her head buried in the side of his neck as her tears tickled his skin, slowly trekked back to the car. Automatically, Trent opened the passenger seat of the car and let Conner slowly place Kira in the seat. After Kira was safely buckled in, Trent sat in the back of the car as Conner moved to the driver's side. The drive to the hospital was a short one. Conner rolled up to the ER doors and unbuckled his seatbelt. He climbed out of his car and walked around to the passenger side door. In the meantime, Trent had removed himself from the backseat and was now sitting in the driver seat. Conner looked at him.

"I'll go park while you take her in." Trent commented to Conner's confused face. Conner just nodded before helping Kira from the car. He lifted her up and carried her princess style once more into the hospital. The emergency room was filled with activity and noise as doctors and nurses dealt with those injured in the attack.

"Sir?" Said a nurse as she approached him and Kira. Conner blinked at looked at her.

"Help her…..please," was all he said. The nurse looked at them both, taken aback by the girl practically covered in blood. What shocked her even more was, the wounds she could see would render anyone unconscious, but the girl was very much awake. Conner stood back and watched as the nurse called for someone to bring over a gurney. Within seconds a gurney was stopping in front of Conner and the nurse was asking him to put Kira on it. Slowly he lowered her down with no objections from Kira. The nurse looked at him.

"We're going to take her to get examined, you should get your wounds checked too," she said. Conner shook his head, his eyes still trained on Kira.

"I'm fine, just take care of her," he said. The nurse eyed him warily for a moment.

"Fine, we'll come get you in a bit so that you can see her." She replied before pushing the gurney away. Conner stayed there, watching them push her away. A few minutes later he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Trent standing beside him.

"Come on, let's go sit down." Trent commented, guiding Conner toward the chairs. The two sat down as they waited on news about Kira. Conner stared out ahead of him as Trent watched his friend.

"What are we going to do?" Conner said in a lost voice. Trent looked down.

"We'll figure something out," Trent said, although he himself didn't know what to do either. No one knew what to do without Tommy there to guide them.

"But how?" Conner all but whispered. First he'd lost his best friend, and now Tommy.

"Conner." Trent said looking at him. "We will figure this out." He replied. Conner shook his head.

"I should've stayed away," he muttered. "I should've just stayed away from Ethan, all of you, none of this would've happened."

"That's not true," Trent said, squeezing his friend's shoulder.

"Yes it is!" Conner cried looking at his friend. "You can't tell me that if I would have stayed away, that any of this would have happened!" Trent grabbed Conner's shoulders and began to shake him.

"Stop it!" He demanded. "This is NOT your fault!" He took a deep breath. "If you had stayed away, we might not know as much about this guy as we do. Things could've been worse. He could've killed more of us," he said. "If you hadn't been here, you wouldn't have been able to safe Kira when he showed up at her house. Kira could've been dead by now," he added, hoping the inclusion of Kira would help Conner see reason. Conner shook his head.

"I could've dealt with it on my own. If I had stayed away, the green ranger would've never known about Ethan or the others."

"What are you talking about?" Trent asked. "That thing, and whoever the hell his 'master' is, found past rangers on their own. How'd that have anything to do with you?" Trent asked. Conner paused.

"I…….I'm not sure," Conner muttered, looking away.

"Yet you'll still blame yourself." Trent just shook his head. Thankfully, before Conner could respond, the nurse who he'd talk to earlier reappeared.

"Excuse me?" She spoke. Trent and Conner looked at her.

"Is Kira all right?" Conner asked quickly. He rose to his feet. "Can I see her? Where is she?" The nurse sighed.

"Whoa, calm down their, sir," she said. "Your friend is fine," she said. "She has some deep cuts which are currently getting stitched up. We were able to pull out all the debris that had gotten caught in her wounds." She held up a clipboard. "We just need someone to fill out some information for her," she said. Trent reached over and took the clipboard.

"I'll do it," he said. The nurse looked at Conner.

"I'm going to assume that you'd like to see her," she said. Conner nodded, giving her a look as if to say 'well, duh!' The nurse nodded. "Come with me," she said.

----

The doctor had just finished stitching up the last of Kira's wounds when Conner came in. The doctor looked up at Conner.

"Ah, you must be this Conner person Ms. Ford here has been asking for this whole time," The doctor said, giving him a smile. Conner went over to stand beside Kira. He looked at her. There were stitches on the cut on her cheek and the cut on her collarbone, as well as a long vertical set of stitches on her right forearm. The cut over her eye had a small white bandage on it. Instead of her blood soaked jeans, she now wore a pair of green hospital scrubs. He saw the jeans in a bag on the table behind Kira. Conner put a hand on her back, rubbing small circles on the small of her back. Kira sighed and leaned into him, resting her head against his chest. "I'm assuming you'll be taking care of her in her recovery," the doctor said. Conner looked at her, nodding wordlessly. "All right then, I'll tell you what I told her. Try not to get the stitches wet. She should refrain from walking to let her legs heal a bit for the next few days. She'll have to be back in about two weeks so we can take the stitches out." Conner nodded at the doctor's instructions.

"Thank you Doctor." He replied. She smiled back at him.

"You're welcome... Try and take care of yourselves. Ms. Ford, you're welcome to leave whenever you'd like." She commented softly before exiting the room. Conner moved and stood in front of Kira. She looked up at him dazedly. He put a hand on her cheek.

"You okay?" He asked. Kira slowly nodded.

"They gave me something for the pain," she said. Conner gave her a small smile.

"You mean the pain you were so busy denying before?" He asked. Kira sighed, closing her eyes.

"Sleepy," she murmured, leaning into his touch. Conner kissed her forehead.

"We'll get you back to the house in a little bit," he said. "You can get some sleep." Kira nodded against his hand.

"Sleep good," she murmured. Conner grabbed the wheelchair beside and bed and helped Kira ease into it. Kira blinked, as if surprised by the change in seating. Conner got behind the chair, watching as Kira began to nod off as he wheeled her to the front desk where Trent stood having just turned in the forms. Trent looked down at Kira.

"Is she okay?" He asked Conner.

"She's tired," Conner said. Trent nodded. The three of them made their way to the exit.

"I'll go get the car," Trent said once Conner had wheeled Kira outside. Conner nodded. As Trent pulled the car around, Conner lifted Kira from the wheelchair and into the car. Trent moved to the back as Conner sat Kira in the passenger side and buckled her in before going to the driver's side and getting in.

The drive back to the house was quiet. Some time later, Conner pulled the car up to the house and parked. Trent opened the back door and walked into the house, leaving the couple alone. He left the front door open for Conner. Conner sighed, his eyes still looking ahead out the windshield, his hands still on the steering wheel. He heard Kira unbuckle her seat belt before shifting in her seat until she was lying across the passenger seat, her head resting on his thigh.

"You're still awake," Conner said, one of his hands leaving the steering wheel and resting on her head.

"Barely," Kira said. Conner nodded.

"Sit up," he said. Kira groaned a bit as Conner helped her sit up again. He got out of the car and came around to her side of the car. He opened the door as Kira turned to face him. He paused as he caught sight of a splotch of blood on her pants he hadn't seen before. He quickly kneeled in front of her. "Kira," he said worriedly. "You're still bleeding," he said. Any blood worried him, but where the splotch sat, right between her legs, made him worry there was some internal bleeding that was coming through. Kira blinked, looking down. She snorted and shook her head, though through her somewhat drugged state, it was more like her head flopped side to side.

"That's not…from what happened," she said, giggling. Conner blinked.

"Wha……Oh," he said, blushing as he got what she meant. Kira nodded.

"Was embarrassing," she murmured. "Glad I got a woman doctor," she said, her head lying on the headrest of the seat as her eyes drooped.

"Hey," Conner poked her softly. "No sleeping just yet, we've gotta get you in the house first." He finished, before kissing her cheek. Kira nodded against the headrest.

"Okay," she said. She went to stand up. Conner smiled.

"No walking, remember?" He asked. Kira groaned. Conner stood up and gently picked her up. "Come on, princess," he said. Kira rested her head on his chest as Conner held her, making a small disapproving noise.

"Not princess," she grumbled. Conner kicked the car door shut with his foot. He laughed a little at her.

"Alright then Rockstar." He replied, using her old nickname. Kira nodded against his chest. Kira carried her inside the house, kicking the front door shut before carrying her up the stairs. He carried her to her bedroom, gently setting her down on the bed. He stood up, looking down at her. He wasn't about to try to prevent the splotch on her pants from transferring to the bed sheets, and figured if anything he'd just put her in his bed later while he changed her sheets. All that could be taken care later. It wasn't important at the time. Kira mewed gently as she settled in bed.

"Stay, Con," she said as her eyes began to close. Conner nodded.

"Always," he said. He went to the foot of the bed and gently pulled her sneakers off, tossing them on the floor before kicking off his own sneakers and crawling into bed next to her. Kira curled up against him as Conner put his arms around her. "Sleep," he gently commanded as he kissed the top of her head.

"Mmmm," she murrmred. Not too long after, Conner heard the slow even breathing indicating she was asleep. Conner sighed, holding her as she slept, as his mind wandered to the day's events. He thought about Tommy. More specifically, getting word to Kimberly. There was no way they could reach her on Aquitar, but deep down he knew it wouldn't be right for her not to know of her husband's demise. There had to be a way to reach her. Conner sighed as he settled into bed, holding Kira closer. He couldn't help think of the situation had things been different. What if it had been him pinned under that pillar, or even worse, Kira? The mental image of Kira underneath the pillar sent a cold shiver down his spine. He looked down at Kira, placing his lips on her forehead to assure himself that she was there lying next to him. As his thoughts began to stray from him, his eyes slowly drooped down until they were shut, joining Kira in sleep.

---

A few hours later, Kira sat on the toilet seat in the bathroom, looking none too pleased as Conner ran a warm washcloth along her back.

"This is just an excuse to see me naked, isn't it?" She grumbled. Conner sighed, rolling his eyes.

"You're the one who said you felt gross and wanted a bath. Doctor said you can't get your stitches wet,"

"So, you figured sponge bath was the next logical step?" Kira asked, cutting in.

"Pretty much," he said. Kira just shook her head.

"Only you Conner." Conner smiled as he dipped the cloth in the basin of water he had set beside him. After squeezing out the excess water, he brought the cloth to her shoulder, running it down her arm, being careful not to touch her stitches. He did the same for her left arm, but this time he didn't need to worry about stitches. He dipped the cloth in water again and went to work on her legs. When he had first helped her out of her pants to help her get clean, he was taken aback by the injuries he hadn't seen before. Both legs had stitches along the femur. It was by sheer luck that she hadn't nicked an artery and bled to death. Her left leg had a few stitches by her ankle and both of her legs were skinned and rough from the knee down to her foot.

"Jesus." He muttered as he carefully whipped the cloth along them. Kira looked at him.

"What?" She asked. Conner looked at her.

"I just…..your legs.." He said. He was still having trouble with the injuries on her legs seeing as it wasn't very long ago that he first saw them. Kira sighed and leaved towards him, kissing him gently.

"I'm okay Conner, I'm okay," she assured him. Conner sighed.

"I know... But still..." He replied. Kira put a hand on his lips to stop him.

"I'm here," she said. Conner placed a kiss on her palm before gently pulling it away.

"I know," he said. He continued working on her legs. He went to her inner thighs when Kira grabbed his hand to stop him.

"I can do that myself," she said. Conner looked up at him innocently.

"What?" He asked. Kira sighed and shook her head.

"Conner, it's a little embarrassing," she admitted. Conner nodded, understanding.

"Do you want me to step outside?" He asked.

"Just for a little bit," she requested. Conner nodded.

"Okay," he said. He stood up. Before he left the bathroom, he brought the underwear, pajamas and sanitary pad he had left by the sink for her over to her. Kira smiled softly at him as she took the items and set them on the floor beside her. "I'll be right outside, call me when you need some help," he said. Kira nodded. Conner left the room, leaving the door open a crack so he'd hear her call him. Inside, Kira cleaned herself up, leaving the now somewhat blood covered cloth in the basin of water. She really hoped, in his trying to take care of her, Conner offered to handle the basin. She just wasn't sure if she was comfortable with him dealing with her in such a personal matter. She sighed and pulled the underpants and sanitary pad onto her lap, setting that up herself before putting her feet through the leg holes. She pulled the underwear up to her knees before wiggling it the rest of the way up. Once she had successfully gotten her underwear on, she pulled her pajama top on. She figured Conner would be annoyed with her if she pulled her pajama bottoms on without his help, so she left that alone.

"You can come back in now," she called out. Conner walked back into the bathroom. He helped her get her feet into the holes in her pajama bottoms. Kira put her arms around his neck as Conner pulled her up a bit to pull the pants up. Once the pants were pulled up, Conner scooped her up in his arms.

"You're loving this, aren't you?" Kira groaned, rolling her eyes. Conner grinned as he kissed her cheek.

"You betcha." He replied as he carried her from the room. Instead of carrying her back to her room, Conner took her to his room and placed her on his bed, pulling the blanket up over her. Kira looked at him with a questioning look.

"Your sheets were a bit.." he paused, letting his voice trail off. "I'll change 'em later." Kira sighed.

"Conner, I'm not an invalid. I can change my own damn bed sheets," Kira said, not hiding the annoyance in her tone. Conner sat down at the edge of the bed.

"You're hurt," he stated. "You can't-"

"Conner," Kira said firmly. "Don't get me wrong, it's really sweet how you want to take care of me but you're very close to crossing over from being sweet to just babying me."

"I'm not babying you." Conner replied. Kira gave him an incredulous look.

"And what would you call bathing me and saying you're going to change my sheets?" Kira countered.

"Helping," Conner stated. Kira sighed.

"To you it's helping, but to me it's babying. Do you have any idea how embarrassing this all is for me?" She asked. Conner sighed.

"Kira, look. I'm sorry... But I don't know what else to do...I know you're more than capable of doing things yourself... I just don't want to see you hurt yourself even more." He replied. Kira sighed and looked up at the ceiling in Conner's room.

"I know," she said softly. "It's just….hard," she said. "I'm used to doing things for myself." She turned her head to look at him. "Can't you just be like a normal guy and be utterly repulsed about even being in the same room as anything your girlfriend's monthly affliction has touched?" Conner laughed and stroked her face gently.

"I don't mind." He replied. "I mean, it's not like I'm some idiot-"

"You're not?" Kira asked, feigning shock. Conner gave her a playful glare.

"As I was saying, I'm not some idiot insensitive guy," he said. Kira stroked the hand that was on her face.

"I know you're not," she said. "But it doesn't make it any less weird," she said. Conner laughed. He slid into the bed next to her, taking her in his arms.

"Okay, how about a compromise?" He asked.

"I'm listening," she said.

"I'm not going to stop helping and taking care of you in anyway I see fit," he said. "But I'll remember to take your feelings into account and make sure whatever I'm doing is okay with you," he said. Kira smiled.

"I can live with that," she said. Suddenly her stomach growled. Conner chuckled.

"So, on that note, Miss Kira, would it be all right if I fetched you some reheated pizza?" He asked. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Oh I guess so Mr. Conner." She replied laughing a little. Conner grinned and pressed a kiss to her temple gently. He got up from the bed and left the room. As he made his way to the kitchen, he froze, his eyes falling on a picture Ethan kept in the hallway that led to the kitchen. It was taken during their prom, right after Kira's performance. He picked it up the framed picture, looking deeply at it. In the picture stood him one arm around Krista, his date's, waist as she stood in front of him and the other around Kira's shoulder who stood next to him. Beside Kira stood Ethan with his date, Angela, with Trent and Tommy standing behind the group, their heads and shoulder poking in between Conner and Kira and Kira and Ethan. Conner's eyes focused on Tommy and Ethan's faces, which were right by each other. It was a little eerie how the picture had been posed and how things played out now. Ethan and Tommy being right by each other, now both dead.

"Conner?" He heard a voice ask right behind him. He turned to see Trent standing there. "You okay?" He asked. Conner nodded.

"Yeah…..I guess……it's all hitting me….." He muttered. After his nap with Kira, he had become so focused on caring for her; he put Tommy's death out of his mind. And now, looking at the picture, it came back to him. Trent nodded, understanding how his friend was feeling.

"Its hard, but we have to keep going." Trent replied, placing a hand on Conner's shoulder.

"But how?" Conner asked. "I mean…before, I felt somewhat confident about stuff because……well Ethan's a genius, he knew what to do. And then he died…….But even then, I still help onto some of that confidence because I knew no matter what, Dr. O would know what to do. I mean…..he's Dr. O, ya know? But now…..it's like we're the blind leading the blind," Conner sighed. Trent shrugged.

"Well figure it out... Somehow." He said. "Our friends, and the others who've fallen victim to this psycho…they wouldn't want us to give up. Dr. O told us to keep going, and that's what we do. We recuperate from today, we pick ourselves up, and we make our friends proud." Conner looked at Trent, taking hope from his words. He smiled, nodding a bit.

"You're right," he said.

"Of course I am." Trent replied. Conner laughed. He looked back at the picture in his hands, his eyes again focusing on Tommy and Ethan.

"Your deaths won't be in vain," he quietly vowed before putting the picture back where it was. He then turned back to Trent. "How have you been holding up?" He asked. Trent shrugged.

"Best I can," he said. "Honestly, all I keep thinking about is Kimberly…and the girls," Trent admitted. Conner nodded.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I was thinking about her before too," he said. Trent sighed.

"You know what sucks?" Trent asked.

"What?"

"All the while……I've been thinking…..what if it was me? And feeling happy that I'll someday see my wife and baby girl again. And then I remember, Tommy can't……and I feel like…..god, what kind of scumbag am I…" Conner put a hand on Trent's shoulder.

"You're not a scumbag," Conner said. "You're a husband and father, just like Tommy. It's only expected that you'd feel this way. Just like you said that our friends wouldn't want us to give up, Tommy wouldn't want you to keep yourself from feeling this way. It's a natural thing to feel."

"Yeah, I guess." He replied. He looked at Conner. "Con, if something happens to me….Just, make sure Kendra and Elise are alright, okay?" He said. Conner gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"You won't need me, because you'll be there to make sure yourself. Nothing's going to happen to you. We're going to get this psycho," he said. Trent nodded at his friend's words, holding onto them. "Now, I've kept Kira waiting for her pizza, if I don't get it now she's going to be pissed," Conner smirked. Trent laughed as they walked to the kitchen. Conner retrieved two slices of the Hawaiian pizza and some slices for himself and Trent before sticking them all in the large microwave oven as Trent poured water in three glasses. Once the pizza's were heated, Conner brought out the wooden tray Ethan kept in the kitchen for whenever he used to surprise Emily with breakfast in bed. He put the two plates containing his and Kira's pizza and two glasses of water on the tray as Trent took his own pizza and water. The two returned upstairs as Trent took his meal to his room and Conner took the tray to his own room. He saw Kira pushing herself to a sitting position. Conner placed the tray on his nightstand and sat down beside her. "Dinner is served," he said with a smile as he brought the tray over and stood it over her legs. Kira tried her best not to roll her eyes at Conner's cheesy-ness.

"How thoughtful," she replied. Conner laughed. The two quietly ate their meal. Once they were done, Conner took the tray off the bed and put it back on the nightstand. He settled down in the bed, pulling Kira in his arms and making her lay her head on his chest. Kira let out a contented sigh as they lay there for a few moments.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her. Kira shrugged in his arms.

"I'm all right. A little sore, but that's it," she said. Conner looked down at her.

"Do you want some Tylenol or something?" He asked. Kira shook her head.

"No, I'm okay," she said.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said. She snuggled against him. "Besides, you getting me Tylenol would require you getting up. And I'm quite comfortable like this," she said. Conner laughed.

"Well, if that's the case," he said as he took one hand away from her and reached into the drawer in his nightstand. He pulled out a pill bottle from the drawer and brought it to her. Kira rolled her eyes when Conner handed her the pill bottle.

"Only you." She commented. The pair sat up slightly as Conner brought over her glass of water as Kira opened the bottle, shaking two pills into her palm before tossing them in her mouth as Conner handed her the glass. Kira took a sip from it and swallowed the pills before Conner put the glass back and the two settled back in their previous position.

"Better?" Conner asked. Kira just nodded.

"Well, it will be when the pills kick in," she said, smiling a bit. Conner chuckled.

"Well, it's a good thing you took the pills now before the pain got worse and you had to wait even more for the pills to kick in," he teased. Kira rolled her eyes again.

"Shut up."

---

Conner awoke some time later, a little surprised. He didn't even remember falling asleep. Kira had dosed off a few minutes after she took the Tylenol, that was the last thing he remembered. He was also a little surprised to find he was alone in bed. He quickly sat up, worried.

"Kira?" He called out, concerned. He got out of bed, walking out of the room in search of her. He stopped as he heard soft sobs coming from the bathroom. He quickly went to the bathroom, bursting in to find Kira sitting by the toilet, her knees up to her chest as she cried. "Kira," he sighed, going to her. She wiped at her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she said, swallowing back a sob. "I just needed to change the pad and I didn't want to wake you," she said. He sighed again.

"You could've opened up one of your stitches," he said softly. He shook his head. Kira didn't need him to chastise her now. He pulled her in his arms, letting her head rest on his chest as she cried.

"When I tried to get back up, my legs just…..gave out," she said. "And I was just sitting here and…….stuff came back to me," she said, closing her eyes as her body shook with sobs. "They're gone," she whimpered through her sobs. "Tommy……Ethan……they're really, really gone and they're not coming back."

"Oh, Kira," Conner whispered as he pressed a kiss to her temple lightly. He rubbed her back gently as he comforted her.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, tilting her head to look up at him. Conner stared down at her tear filled eyes. "We can't beat this guy…..He's too strong……What if-"

"Shh," Conner said quickly, cutting her off. "We _will _beat this guy. For our friends, and for everyone else he's hurt," he said, Trent's words coming back to him. "As for what we're going to do," he said, "we do exactly what Dr. O told us to do. We go on. We keep fighting." He felt Kira shake her head against him.

"I can't," she said. Conner tightened his hold on her.

"Yes you can. You're Kira Ford. The Kira Ford I know doesn't give up. The Kira Ford I know is a fighter, in every sense of the word. You're just scared right now. And that's okay. It's okay to be scared."

"How can it be okay?" Kira asked. Conner let her go so she would look into his eyes.

"Because that means you understand that there is a danger out there," he explained. "Being scared doesn't mean you're weak. It just means you're aware, and aren't dumb or overconfident enough to think that it can't hurt you. Now, the question is, what are you going to do with that fear?"

"What do you mean?" Kira asked.

"Are you going to let the fear control you? Are you going to go into hiding and just keep running or hiding to stay safe, basically let your fear and the evils in the world control your life? Or, are you going to let the fear drive you, make you stronger and use it to fight the evils?" He asked. "Cause, I've got to tell you, I've done the hiding and running route. Did it for six years. Sure, it might keep you alive, but it's hard. It's tiring; you're always scared and lonely. Is that what you want?" Kira shook her head.

"No, its not." She replied, looking at her hands. Conner smiled a little.

"Good, because I'm not gonna let you run and hide." Kira looked up at him.

"But, what are we going to do? How are we going to fight?" She asked. "Conner," she said, her voice going soft as she took his hands in hers. "I don't……I don't want to go up against this guy again if it's just going to be like today, only this time you're the one who's…." Her voice trailed off as she look down. Conner squeezed her hands. Kira looked at him. "I don't want to live out my nightmare," she whispered.

"We're not going to." Conner replied as he squeezed her hands.

"How can you be so sure?" She questioned. Conner looked at her.

"Because, I'm not going to let your nightmare come true," he promised. "For now, we take some time to recuperate from today, especially you," he said, giving her a small smirk. "And we figure out our next move." Kira sighed a little.

"Okay." She replied softly.

"All right," Conner said. "Now, let's get back to bed." Kira chuckled a little.

"Only you would make that sound dirty." Conner gave her an innocent look.

"Who me?" He asked. "All I'm saying is we should get back to bed, it's not my fault if you're dirty mind is taking it to mean anything other than sleep."

"I do not have a dirty mind!" Kira replied, smacking Conner lightly on the shoulder. Conner smiled.

"Uh huh, sure," he said.

"You're the one who's always thinking about sex." She replied, sticking her tongue out. Conner grinned.

"Well, how can I not when I've got you?" He asked. Kira grinned.

"Well, I guess that's true." She replied. "Although, what makes you think you've 'got' me?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow. Conner laughed and stood up, scooping her up in his arms.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe this?" He asked. Kira let out a bit of a squeal as he picked her up, hitting his shoulder lightly. Conner smiled and carried her back to his room, setting her down in bed as he crawled in next to her.

"Now, no more getting out of bed and hurting yourself, got it?" He stated as he pulled her in her arms again. Kira sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, got it," she said as she laid her head on his chest again.

"Good." He replied. "Not that I mind coming to your rescue." He joked.

"You're enjoying this far too much," she said. Conner sighed. Kira looked up at him.

"Not really," he said, his face growing serious. "I hate seeing you hurt like this," he said.

"I know you do." She replied softly. "And I hate seeing you hurt too," she said. "When I found you after the explosion…..unconscious like that……It scared me so much," she said.

"I know." Conner replied. He kissed her gently.

"Conner," she said, once the kiss ended. She looked at him, biting her lip gently. "I love you," she said. Conner smiled.

"I was wondering when you'd get the guts to actually say it when I'm awake," he said. Kira's eyes widened.

"You heard…"

"You say you love me after I fell asleep when we made up? Yeah," he said.

"But why.."

"I didn't want to say anything. I figured you weren't 100 ready to have me hear it, so I decided to give you time and not bring it up," he said.

"Oh..." She replied.

"Are you mad?" He asked. Kira shook her head.

"No," she said. "Just surprised, I guess," she said. Conner kissed her again.

"Good, I'm glad that you're not." He replied. Kira lowered her head so she was lying on his chest again. "Anyways, I'm glad that you said it back." Conner commented softly as he stroked her hair. Kira smiled softly.

"I'm glad you're glad," she said. Conner held her close, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she said. Conner smiled. He kissed the top of her head again as the two laid together, taking strength and comfort from each other as they mentally prepared for any future battles and mourned those they had lost.


	9. Message From Beyond

Conner, Kira and Trent took the next few days to recuperate and mourn their losses. They hadn't had adequate time to mourn Emily, Ethan and little Ryan, so now that Tommy was gone too, they gave themselves the time they hadn't had then to reflect on the loss of their four loved ones, as well as Justin, Ryan Mitchell and Max, who they hadn't known personally but mourned for nonetheless as one would mourn the loss of a seldom seen distant relative. They were all family under the Power Ranger surname, and deserved to be remembered.

As the days went on, Kira's leg began to get a little better. She was now at the point that she could walk comfortably on her own, without fearing she'd open up one of her leg stitches. Conner was still apprehensive about her walking around too much though. After a brief discussion, Kira had agreed not to overwork herself too much to help ease Conner's fears.

During the resting period, the three of them spent most of their time sitting in the living room, sharing memories of Ethan and Tommy, laughing as they remembered the good times the group had shared.

"Do you guys remember the time Dr. O found out Principal Randall and Elsa were one in the same?" Conner asked. "Am I the only one who found the two of them fighting the funniest thing imaginable?"

"You found our mentor fighting my stepmother hilarious?" Trent said, quirking an eyebrow. Kira giggled.

"No…..dude……..not when you say it like that," Conner said, trying to amend his previous statement. "It's not like she was your stepmom then…" Trent laughed.

"I'm just messing with you, man," Trent chuckled. Kira laughed.

"My personal favorite was when Elsa came on the dig with us." She giggled.

"Oh yeah," Conner said, laughing. "Her outfit looked like something she got out of Elmer Fud's closet or something." He looked at Trent. "Sorry dude, forgot about the whole….stepmom thing." Trent shook his head dismissively.

"Not a problem," he said. "Like you said, she wasn't my stepmother at the time. And besides, her fashion sense wasn't the greatest at the time either." Trent finished, laughing slightly.

As it grew closer to the end of the week, the three settled into a nice domestic routine, each taking up chores in the house. By this time, Kira's leg had healed a bit more so she took on the chore of doing laundry. Trent took on doing the dishes and Conner was the one who went out to get things from the store. Kira was very worried about Conner taking this chore, and tried to come up with ways to limit the need to go out to the store or leave the house in general. As long as they were in the house, they were safe, assumed dead by the green ranger.

Every time Conner went out, Kira would stand by the door, waiting for him to return. Every time, he'd come back within at most, half an hour. Conner knew of Kira's fears and tried to not stay out too long so she wouldn't worry. He had mastered the art of getting the most shopping done in the least amount of time, carefully mapping out his route through the super market before he even left the house to avoid staying out longer than he needed to.

The three shared the duty of cooking meals and cleaning their own spaces. They'd slowly change their routines around so that they weren't always doing the same chore. As time went on, Kira became a bit more comfortable with Conner as the two became more and more like a pair of newlyweds making house. Whenever it was one of the guys' turn to do laundry, she was hesitant to let Trent care for her unmentionables but had no problem with Conner handling them. It wasn't like her under garments were something foreign to him.

It soon came time for Kira to go back to the hospital to have her stitches removed. The two weeks had gone flowed past them quickly. The three went to the hospital together. Trent waited in the waiting room as Conner went to one of the rooms with Kira, standing beside her as the same doctor took out the stitches she had put in two weeks before. Kira winced a little as the stitches were slowly removed. Conner gave her hand a small squeeze.

"I'm sure you're glad to be rid of these," The doctor said with a smile as she finished taking out the stitches in Kira's legs. Conner helped Kira stand so she could pull her pants back up.

"Oh yeah," Kira muttered as she zipped up the fly of her jeans. She sat back on the table so the doctor could work on the stitches on her arm. The doctor gave a small laugh.

"It seems like your wounds have healed nicely though."

"Yeah," Kira said, making a small face. "I'll just have the disfiguring scars for the rest of my life," she said with a sigh. Conner gave her hand another squeeze as he leaned a little towards her.

"You're beautiful," he said to her in a soft tone. Kira blushed and looked down, clearing her throat. The doctor smiled at the couple.

"If the scars bother you, there's a bunch of creams and other home remedies you can use on them," she suggested. Once the stitches on her arm were taken care of, she went to the ones on her collarbone and face. "Well, if it helps," she said once she was completely done, "you don't have a scar here," she said, pointing to the stitches that had been removed over her eye.

"Thank god." Kira replied, thinking about her face plastered all over magazines from when she'd been a huge star. Last thing she needed to happen was to have her face re-plastered all over them again saying that she'd gotten hurt.

"Hey," Conner said, giving Kira a smile. "Just think of the scars giving you like some sort of rock and roll edge," he said. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Not the female ones Conner," She replied. She paused and looked at the doctor. In thinking about how her face might look like plastered all over magazines, it made her think of what could happen if her injuries were leaked to the tabloids. The last thing she needed to worry about would be her manager and associates finding out she was hurt and swooping into town to whisk her away to some spa in L.A. so she could 'recuperate'. "Doctor," Kira began. "All of this-"

"All of my staff has already been told to handle this situation with the utmost discretion, Miss Ford," the doctor said. "We even made sure to file your information in the hospital under a false name, just to be safe." Kira smiled.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're very welcome, we try our best to accommodate our um, shall we say more _popular_ patients." The doctor replied. "Well, I'll give you two a moment to get yourselves together, then you are free to leave," she said before leaving. Kira called out another thanks to the woman.

"I remember about a month after I moved here; Ryan broke his arm while trying to ride his bike, the doctors here made sure the information wasn't leaked out. The last thing Ethan needed was to be painted as Ethan James, part computer genius and part unfit father by the media," Conner stated as Kira started putting on her shoes. Kira looked at him.

"Really?" She questioned. She remembered Emily telling her about Ryan's accident over the phone, but had no idea the hospital had helped them out so much. Kira blinked, remembering that while she was on the phone with Emily asking her how little Ryan was feeling, Conner could've very well been standing in the same room as Emily unbeknownst to Kira. Conner nodded.

"Yeah, it was different, that's for sure... You okay?" He asked. Kira nodded.

"Yeah, just….can't get over the fact that all the times I talked to Emily, Ethan and Ryan over the phone this past year……you were right there….." Kira said. Conner looked down.

"I'm sorry," he said. "You must hate me for making them lie to you like that…..I just……..wasn't ready…" He said, his voice trailing off. Kira shook her head.

"Conner, I don't hate you," she said. "And they didn't really lie," Kira said. "It's not like I asked if you were there and they told me you weren't. They just didn't tell me."

"I know, but still." He said as he brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face. Kira looked at him.

"Conner," she stated firmly. "With everything that's happened these past few weeks; I don't want to waste time being mad at you for the past. I understand why you stayed away. Sure, I wish you hadn't, but I'd rather focus on the now. We're together, and that's what matters, not all the time that we weren't." Conner smiled.

"I agree." He replied softly as he kissed her. Kira kissed him back and smiled, stroking his face.

"Good," she said. Once Kira had both her shoes on, the couple joined Trent in the waiting room before the three left the hospital and drove back to the house. They took the rest of the day to further rest and recuperate, vowing to return to their work the following day. They knew they couldn't lie under the green ranger's radar for much longer.

---

"Damnit," Conner groaned, hitting his hand against the computer console in frustration. The three of them had been trying to figure out Ethan's computer systems since 8 o'clock that morning. It was now noon and they hadn't had much progress. "I know Ethan started working on something big to combat this freak……I just know it…….He was getting a little secretive towards the end……..I just can't find it," he sighed. Kira reached over and gently massaged his shoulder.

"Don't blame yourself," she said. "None of us even know what we're looking for. It's going to take some time."

"That's what worries me," Conner said. "I don't know if we have a lot of time to figure this out," he said. Kira sighed and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"We'll figure this out." She looked up at the large computer screen. "What's that?" She asked, pointing at a folder.

"One of Ethan's private folders. Its password protected," he said. Kira, as well as Trent who was sitting beside the couple, gave him a look. Conner blinked. "Yeah, what we're looking for could be there, but Tommy and I tried to open it for hours before….well…before we faced evil green dude. Nothing worked. We tried Ethan's social security number, his and Emily's anniversary, even Ryan's birthday. Couldn't figure out the password." Kira stared at the screen, her eyes widening as an idea struck her.

"Try opening it again," she said. Conner looked at her and shrugged, figuring it was worth a try. He clicked on the folder, as expected the small window asking for a password came up.

"Now what?" He asked.

"Try putting in one, zero, zero, three," Kira said. Conner's brows furrowed but figured it was worth a shot. He put in the code, only to be met with "ACCESS DENIED" in large red letters.

"Still nothing," he said. Kira bit her lip.

"How about September 2003?" She asked. Conner looked at her. He shrugged again and did as she did; again it was met with the same result. He narrowed his eyes and figured to try again, this time without the space between September and 2003. Conner's eyes widened as this time they were met with "ACCESS GRANTED" in large green letters. The file opened up to reveal just one document.

"How'd you figure that out?" Trent asked Kira. Kira smiled.

"September 2003 was when the three of us first became rangers….when this all first started and we became friends." Conner chuckled.

"Man, why didn't I think of that," he said, shaking his head. Kira smiled at him.

"You were just tired and overworked. You would've gotten it eventually."

"Yeah, eventually." He replied moving the mouse over to the document. "Well, here goes," he said before clicking on the document. The three jumped back a bit, surprised as the screen was filled with long lines of encrypted code. "Oh man, don't tell me this is a dead end," Conner groaned. He stopped as another window opened up. This one was a video window. The video started playing on it's own as the three watched.

"Oh my god…." Kira whispered. "It's Ethan…." Before them, they saw Ethan's figure move in front of the camera as he set it up before sitting down in front of it.

"My name's Ethan James," the video began Ethan's face serious. "If you're viewing this then…" his voice paused as his face broke out into a smile. "Sorry," he said, chuckling. "I couldn't resist copying Dr. Oliver's cryptic opening." The three couldn't help laugh a bit at Ethan's attempt to joke. "But in all seriousness," Ethan went on, his face growing serious again. "Conner," Conner looked up, paying extra attention as he heard his name. "If you're watching this………then….." Ethan paused as he cleared his throat. "Then my fears came true and something's happened to me." Conner felt Kira squeeze his shoulder. "And if that's the case…..It's time you know everything that I've been keeping from you." Conner swore a little under his breath.

"This could be interesting..." He said.

"It's about the new power source we've discussed," Ethan continued on the video. The three watched as Ethan seemed to grow hesitant on the video. "I know we talked about holding off on going into the ranger business until we figured things out some more, but….Well, something tells me time's something we don't exactly have an overflowing abundance on. The attacks are growing in intensity and-" Kira and Trent blinked as the video froze. They looked over to Conner and saw he had paused it. Conner's face looked pale as he stared at the screen.

"Conner?" Kira asked. Conner let out a breath.

"He knew," he said softly. He looked down. "He knew something was going to happen…….why didn't he say anything to me?"

"Maybe he didn't want to scare you." Trent offered. Kira nodded. Conner shook his head.

"We could've figured something out…..upped security around the house…" His voice trailed off as Conner stood up, angrily pacing around the room. "We shouldn't have left the house," he grumbled. "If we had just stayed here on my stupid birthday, none of this would've happened!"

"It doesn't matter if you'd stay in or not." Trent replied, never taking his eyes off the video. Kira nodded. Conner rested his forehead against a wall, squeezing his eyes shut.

"We should've stayed here," Conner said. Kira went over to him, standing behind him as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"If he did know something was going to happen," she began, her voice gentle, "then of course he'd want to take you out on your birthday," she said. "Conner, you were like a brother to Ethan. He wanted to do something special for you, take you on a family outing. He wanted you to be happy and have fun."

"So that he and his family could just end up dead?!" Conner exploded. Kira stepped back a little.

"Maybe he wanted you to remember the last happy moments." She replied. Conner shook his head.

"Well, if that was his plan, it sucked," he muttered. All he'd be able to remember of that day was the explosion, the pressure and the flames against his back as he was thrown to the ground. Kira sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

"Conner," she said, squeezing his shoulder. "Come on, let's just sit down and watch the rest of the video," she coaxed. Conner shook his head.

"I can't," he said, his voice shaking. "Seeing Ethan…….it's too eerie……can't….." Kira wrapped her arms around him.

"You need to do this Conner." She whispered.

"I can't," Conner said. Kira put her chin on his shoulder, resting her head against the side of his head.

"Yes you can," she encouraged. "I know it's hard. It's hard on all of us, but we have to do this. We have to hear what Ethan has……..had……" Kira stopped, taking a deep breath. "Ethan left a message; we have to hear it out if we're going to have any hope in going up against the freak who took him and the others from this world." Conner let out a shaky breath.

"Okay," he said softly. Kira stepped back as Conner turned towards her. Kira took hold of his hand and led him back to the computer, letting him sit down in the chair he had just vacated. Conner sighed and clicked on the video, letting it continue.

"-they don't show any sign of stopping," Ethan said, finishing the sentence Conner had paused on. "I thought it would be best if we…..or, well, I…..started looking at mounting a defense against this new threat."

"I know that you're probably asking why I didn't tell you until now." Ethan continued.

"You bet I am," Conner grumbled.

"I didn't want you to get involved," Ethan's voice continued. "I thought if whomever is doing all of these things caught wind of your involvement you'd be forced to run again, or even worse, you'd face the same fate that…….well…..if you're viewing this…….that I have." Conner's mouth fell open slightly.

"So he just decided to keep me in the dark? That seems a little unfair." He grumbled.

"He was trying to protect you," Kira said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you're pretty pissed right now," Ethan said with a chuckle.

"Damn skippy," Conner grumbled.

"But I had to do it...One day I'm sure you'll thank me." Ethan smiled a bit. "Anyway," Ethan went on, his face breaking into a small grin. "I sort of channeled Dr. Oliver and started looking for new rangers," Trent, Conner and Kira's eyes widened.

"New rangers?" Kira asked, astounded. Conner reached over and paused the video again.

"Ethan and I…..we came across a new power source for rangers….pretty much, new dino gems. We talked about using them….getting the team together again….but Ethan kept putting it off, saying we needed more intel before we acted on anything." Trent and Kira looked at him.

"And this information……any reason you didn't share it with us?" Trent asked. Conner sighed a little.

"We weren't sure what was going to happen, and although we did want to bring you guys back, there were other factors that held us off from doing it." Conner replied.

"Factors? Such as?" Kira asked.

"There are six gems," Conner said.

"Six?" Kira asked. Conner nodded.

"Red, blue, yellow, black, white, and pink. I mean, I figured us five would reunite and take up our old powers and just……I don't know, figure out what to do with the remaining gem. Ethan said we shouldn't do anything until we……I guess, have a full set."

"But it's only us three." She replied.

"Frankly," Conner said, looking at Ethan's frozen image. "I'm kind of surprised he said 'new _rangers'_ we only talked about needing someone new for the pink gem……if he went ahead and started looking…….there should only be one person….." Conner muttered to himself.

"Do you think he misspoke?" Trent asked. Conner shrugged.

"Maybe this will explain it." He replied as he unpaused the video.

"I know we talked about getting the old team back together," Ethan spoke. "But," he paused, looking hesitant, as if he were a child who knew he was about to admit to disobeying a parent. "Conner, I can't..." Ethan took a deep breath. "I thought about being a ranger again and I just….the idea made me shudder. Don't get me wrong, being a ranger was one of the highlights of my life….it's just that……..it's been ten years…..and I now have new highlights…..my wife and child. I thought about what affect me being a ranger would have on Emily and Ryan and knew I couldn't do it. And then I thought of Dr. Oliver and Trent. They're just like me. All in all, all five of us are older and have different things in life to worry about. So, we need a whole new set of people."

Conner paused the video again.

"So he and I were just supposed to be mentors to these news kids? And hope for the best?" Conner demanded, anger filling his voice.

"He does……I mean, he did have a point though," Trent spoke. Conner threw him an incredulous look.

"Are you serious?!" Conner demanded. "You're telling me you're not going to fight against this thing?" Trent sighed.

"Conner, it's different now," he said. "If you and Ethan had called me and told me about this a few months ago, to be honest, I might've said no."

"What?" Conner asked, his eyes narrowing. His jaw tightened. "If that's the case, then maybe you should've just gone to Inquiris with your wife and kid," he spat out.

"Conner," Kira reprimanded, putting a hand on his shoulder. Conner pushed her hand away and stood up.

"What, you too?" He asked her, walking around so he could face them both. "Are you saying you don't-"

"I didn't say I don't want to be a part of this," Trent quickly corrected. "I just mean that, had things been different, I could see myself feeling the same way as Ethan. A few months ago, yes, I would've factored Elise and Kendra into any decision I made. But now," Trent paused.

"But now what?" Conner asked.

"But now that I've seen what we're up against, what he's capable of and what he has done…..I know I can't sit back and do nothing. This guy isn't like Mesogog. Sure, Mesogog was evil but the green ranger alone makes Mesogog look like a girl scout, and if the green ranger is this brutal, I don't even want to think about what his master is like." Trent cleared his throat. "And besides, this is the bastard that killed Ethan, Dr. Oliver and everyone else. You better believe that I'm not just going to sit on my ass as some rookies take care of him."

"It was different for you," Kira said, speaking up. "You knew about this danger this whole time and for the past six years, your life revolved around it. So of course there's no question about what you would do. But we didn't know anything about this, we lived our lives. It seems like all Ethan meant was he was hesitant to put his life in jeopardy, and if he couldn't do it then he wasn't about to ask us to do something he wasn't prepared to do himself." Conner just sighed a little.

"It's just...weird hearing him actually saying it." Conner ran a hand through his hair. "I wonder if this is how Dr. Oliver felt when we first became rangers," he muttered. Kira went over to him and took his hand.

"Come on," she coaxed. "Let's continue watching the video." Conner nodded and let her lead her back to the chair. He sat back down. He felt Kira stand behind him, keeping her hands on his shoulders.

"Ready?" Trent asked. Conner nodded. Trent reached over and let the video play on.

"Now, in picking our new recruits," Ethan's image spoke. "I thought back to the hell we put Dr. Oliver through in our adolescent angst," Ethan smirked. "I don't know about you, buddy, but I have no intention of dealing with a bunch of teenagers," he said.

"Well, that's good," Conner muttered. Kira and Trent chuckled a little as they continued to watch.

"The people I picked are all qualified in some way to help us out, but it might take a while for them to figure that out."

"Wonder what that means," Kira muttered. Conner shrugged.

"Probably thinking back to when we were rangers, and how it took us some time to really get into the swing of things," Conner stated.

"Makes sense," Trent nodded, agreeing with Conner. "Finding out you're the only thing between evil and them destroying the world is a lot to take at first."

"I've created separate files for each person, including a picture and the most recent contact information for them." Ethan continued. "It just so happens that all of them live either in the Dallas or close enough so it shouldn't be too hard to reach them," he said. "The files are in the safe at the back of the closet in my room. The combination is 10-20-03. I suggest you pause this video and keep playing it once you have the files," Ethan suggested with a smile. Trent reached over and paused the video.

"I guess we should do what he says," Trent said. The three stood up and left the basement, walking up to the main level of the house before continuing upwards to the second level. Once they reach the door to the bedroom, they all stopped. Aside from Kira trying to pack up the things in the room that one time, before figuring it was best to leave the master bedroom as it was, none of them had ventured into the bedroom since the loss of its occupants. It was eerie and heartbreaking.

"We might as well get this over with," Conner said before opening the door. The three slowly walked in the room. Conner decided it was best to get to the task at hand right away, less they be sucked into their sorrow. Conner opened the closet and routed around before finding the safe in the back bottom corner. Trent and Kira gathered behind him, careful not to block the light as Conner turned the combination. After some time, Conner was able to get the safe open. Sure enough, there sat six manila folders with names written on the tabs: Zac Havilland, Ryder Taima, Charlie Griffith, Hayden Underwood, Shawn Williams and Jiao-jie Huang. Conner gathered the folders in one arm before standing back up. The three went back to the basement. Once they were gathered around the computer again, with files neatly stacked on the console, Conner reached for the mouse to continue playing the video.

"Now that you've got the folders, I guess we can begin," Ethan said. "Open up the folder for Charlie Griffith," he instructed. Conner took the file and opened it up in front of himself as Trent and Kira got closer to him to read over him. Before them was a picture of a young man with light red hair that was cut short in a Cesar sort of style. His lips were parted in a smile and his light green eyes seemed to sparkle.

"Charlie is a local. He's a graduate from Texas Tech with a degree in Nursing. He's taking a few years off to work before heading to medical school," Ethan explained. On the printed out document that was attached to the photo. The document listed the young man's basic information. He was 24 years old, worked as a nurse in the surgery ward at the hospital. "This kid would be good to have around for a few reasons," Ethan spoke. "Before going to Texas Tech, he did a tour of duty in the armed forces as a medic. He knows his way on a battlefield and injured comrades," Ethan said.

"He has a point," Kira murmured. Trent and Conner nodded.

"Next up," Ethan continued. "Hayden Underwood," Conner closed Charlie's file and retrieved the folder marked 'Hayden Underwood'. He opened up the file to see a tall, smiling young man with dark mahogany colored hair that fell just above his eyes. His brown eyes sparkled with mirth. Once Kira's eyes registered on the picture she gave a little gasp. Trent and Conner looked at her, Conner pausing the video as he turned to her.

"I know him," she said. "I mean….I don't _know_ him, I just….I met him that day we were in town….right before Dr. Oliver…" she let her voice trail off. "His little sister got hurt in the chaos," Kira added on.

"Was she okay?" Trent asked.

"Seemed okay," Kira said. "She just had a cut on her neck. Once the paramedics arrived, I figured they were in capable hands."

"Let's see what qualifications this kid has," Conner said as they turned back to the video and let it continue. Looking down, they saw that Hayden was only 21 and was a Kinesiology student at Texas State University. He was a well rounded athlete, with his specialties laying in soccer and football.

"Okay, I've got to admit, part what drew me to Hayden the most was how much he reminds me of you, Con," Ethan admitted with a smile. "Not just the looks and jock nature. He's got that McKnight charm and personality…or…..well, what it used to be," Ethan added sadly, referencing to how the years of running and hiding had changed Conner. "So, if Hayden's just half the person you were…. I know he'll be a great element to the team." Conner took a deep breath, trying to make the lump in his throat go down. "In the next folder, is Zac Havilland." Ethan commented, waiting a moment for Conner to dig for the folder. He grabbed it and quickly flipped it open. Thankful that he didn't need to dwell on what Ethan had said about him. "Zac is a student at the local community college in his third year of Communications and Media." Ethan continued. The three former rangers looked at the folder. Zac was of Spanish decent, he was 23 years old, and had dark medium length hair that he had pulled back in a tight ponytail. "Zac's knowledge of communications and frequencies might come in handy when it comes to trying to develop any technology for communicators," Ethan stated.

"Reasonable choice." Trent commented. Kira and Conner just nodded.

"Next is Ryder Taima," Conner closed up the folder and reached for the appropriate folder. The picture inside it was of a tall, statuesque man of Native American heritage with long dark hair that flowed around his sharp facial features. His facial expression wasn't upset nor happy, it seemed to exuberate a sort of neutral and at peace sort of aura. Trent's eyes widened as he reached over and paused the video as Ethan's image opened his mouth to speak.

"Okay, this is weird," Trent spoke. Conner and Kira looked at him. "I….I've met him," he said. "Same way as Kira met Hayden. This is just…….wow….." Trent said.

"How strange," Kira said.

"Coincidence?" Conner asked. Trent shook his head.

"I don't know……there was something that the old man who was with him said……something about our paths converging….." Trent muttered, he shook his head, deciding that this was no time for some spiritual mumbo jumbo.

"Weird." Kira commented as they looked at the folder again. Ryder's age was listed at 25. He was a graduate from Texas State University with a degree in Visual Arts.

"Okay, how does an artist fit into the whole saving the world deal?" Kira asked.

"Hey," Trent spoke up. "What's wrong with artists?" He said. Conner chuckled a bit.

"Sorry," Kira apologized. "That's not what I meant," she said.

"Let's just hear what Ethan has to say," Conner said as he let the video continue.

"Ryder lives over at the Caddo reservation just outside of town," Ethan spoke. "Now, I know what you're thinking….what does art have to do with saving the world? Oh, don't tell Trent I said that," Kira and Conner snickered as Trent crossed his arms, an indignant look on his face. "Ryder also works as a mechanic at the auto shop in town, owned by his father. Family business seemed to agree with Ryder, seeing as he minored in Engineering in school. Could be of some serious use if developing zord technology, not to mention building said zords, became a necessity."

"See, artists do serve a purpose," Trent muttered. Conner and Kira chuckled as they were instructed to open one of the last remaining files—Shawn Williams. Shawn was a 22 year old man of African America heritage. He had short dark hair. His smiling face bore a slight resemblance to a young Ethan. In his file, they saw that Shawn had just graduated the police academy and was a first year recruit in the Dallas P.D. Through Ethan's comments, the others saw that he was knowledgeable in firearm and weaponry development, not to mention that having someone in the police force would be a valuable asset to their work. "All right guys, time to open up the last file," Ethan said. Conner picked up the last file.

"Ji..uh, yeah, I'm not even going to try pronouncing this name," Conner muttered as he opened up the file. The picture inside the file was that of a Chinese American girl with long dark hair.

"Well, doesn't she look nice," Trent observed sarcastically, taking note of the girl's surly expression.

"Hey, I'm just glad to see Ethan included at least one girl in his recruits. Was beginning to think we were going the sexist route," Kira said, joking slightly. "Let me guess, Conner, you met her?" Kira asked, going by the pattern they had seen thus far. Conner shook his head. The three looked at the girl's file, seeing that she was a 23 year old graduate from New York University with a degree in English and had minored in History and Computer Sciences. The list of facts associated with the girl read like a laundry list of her accomplishments and talents.

"Jiao-jie Huang," Ethan spoke, pronouncing the name flawlessly, the sound coming out as Je-ow Jeh Who-wong. "Is a recent addition to the town of Dallas. She works in a bookstore here in town. This girl's got some serious skills with a computer," Ethan said. He paused, taking a deep breath before looking down. After some time, he looked up again. "You're going to need her…..especially if…….if I'm not……around," Ethan said softly. There was a momentary silence from the group before Ethan spoke again. "I didn't mention colors." He started again, his tone and expression going back to what they had been before. "My understanding of these new gems is they're going to respond to their owners, just like they did to us all those years ago." Ethan smirked. "Although, just for the sake of everyone involved, really hope pink does respond to Jiao….it'd look kind of awkward on the guys, don't you think?" He chuckled a bit. His joke resulted in a small chuckle from the formerly somber group.

"Well, Conner," Ethan said. "I know that you will do a great job in helming this new crop of rangers. You're a born leader and this past year that you've been here shows how great a teacher you are." Conner couldn't help smile at the praise his friend was giving him. Ethan took a deep breath. "All right then," Ethan said, sitting up. "I guess that's all that needs to be said," he paused. "Well…..okay, not quite," Ethan said. He leaned closer to the camera. "Conner, I need you to do two favors for me," he said. He laughed. "I know, after basically telling you you've got to man a whole new ranger team, I've got more requests. What can I say, I'm greedy," he said, chuckling. "First of all," Ethan said. "Get over yourself and call Kira," both Conner and Kira widened their eyes at that. "You and I both know you still love her, so just call her, send her flowers, profess your love to her. I don't care, just do something!" Conner's cheeks reddened at that. Kira chuckled a bit. Sure, the couple had stated their love for one another and was together, so none of this was new news to Kira. But it was a little awkward getting love advice from beyond the grave like this. "You have to tell her how you feel. You'll thank yourself, and me," he said with a grin, "in the long run." Ethan's grin faded slightly as he got serious.

"And as for the second thing," he said, taking a deep breath. "Conner, like I said, if you're watching this, it means something's happened to me. And….well, my guess is that whatever this something is…it's of the six feet under variety," he said sadly. The three friends looked down, their hearts sinking as his words further solidified the knowledge that though they saw him on the screen, he was no longer alive. "If that's the case," Ethan said. "Conner…..I want you to take care of Emily and Ryan," he said. Conner's head snapped up at them. "Look after them, please?" Ethan pleaded. "I trust you. I know that..just like this new team…they'll be safe with you." Conner felt his chin tremble as his eyes filled with tears. "Tell them I love them," Ethan went on, as his voice grew strained as he too started to get choked up. "That they are the most important things in my life, my true accomplishments. Screw my company….Emily and Ryan….they're what really matter," Ethan said. He smiled a bit. "Conner, I hope you one day know the love…and, and the joy I've known as I've lived my life with my wife and son." He gave a small laugh as one tear slid down his cheek. "Hopefully with our dear super star friend, Kira, but that's beside the point," he said. "Just……make sure Emily and Ryan are safe…..and that they live all of their days……just as happy, just as magnificent….as the days before. I'm counting on you, bro," Conner looked down as his tears began to spill out. He felt Kira squeeze his shoulder. Conner sniffled, trying to hold back his emotions as he looked up upon hearing Ethan clear his throat.

"Oh man," he said, wiping at his eyes and chuckling. "I so didn't plan on getting so emotional," he said. He cleared his throat again and wore another smile. "Good luck Conner," he said. "With everything. I know the world, as well as my family, are safe and secure in your hands." With those final words, Ethan gave another smile before reaching over to the camera. One second later, the screen went black, signifying the end of the video.

Conner leaned forward, putting his elbows up on the console as he buried his face in his hands. Kira, who had tears coming down her own cheeks, rubbed his shoulders as he cried softly. She draped her arms around his neck, leaning over as she laid her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her face into the side of his neck. Trent put a hand on Kira's shoulder as the three melded together in grief and comfort. After some time, Conner sniffed and sat up, wiping his eyes. He stared at the screen.

"He trusted me enough to watch over his family," Conner spoke softly. "I………I can't believe it."

"It's not that hard to believe," Kira said softly, stroking his hair. Conner sighed.

"He had no way of knowing what would happen to them……that they…..they'd face the same fate as him," Conner said. Trent bit his lip.

"Not that I'm saying any of this happened for the best…but…it's good that they're together….I mean…" Trent shook his head. "God, that sounds terrible, I-"

"No," Conner said. "I know what you mean," he said. "They're together. We can't change the fact that they're gone, as well as Dr. Oliver. It…..it happened. All we can do is keep on living for them, and be glad that they're all together in….in the afterlife." He looked down at the files scattered before them. He sighed, shaking his head. "God, I can't deal with this right now," he said. Kira gave him a small squeeze.

"It's okay," she said. She cast a look over at Trent who gave her a wordless nod. "I think we all need some time to reflect on all this." Trent looked at his watch.

"It's a little past one now," he stated, "maybe we should eat some lunch and relax for a few hours and then come back and deal with all this," he said. Conner sighed a little.

"Sounds like a good idea." He replied. Trent stood up and left the basement. Kira looked down and saw that Conner made no indication of moving. She went around him and sat beside him in the chair that Trent had just vacated. She looked over at him. Conner kept his head down, his hair falling over his eyes. She reached over and tenderly pushed some hair behind his ear.

"Kind of funny, what Ethan said regarding you and me, huh?" She said, smiling softly. Conner looked at her and gave her a sad smile.

"He used to tell me I should call you….and tell you everything….but I was just too scared and worried what you would say." Kira's hand lingered on his face as her fingers gently stroked the side of his cheek.

"What did you think my reaction would've been?" She asked. Conner shrugged.

"Not sure. On the stuff about the new bad guys……I guess….I mean, I didn't think you just wouldn't care. I figured you'd be upset, rightly so, about me keeping things to myself for so long, but I never thought you would refuse to have anything to do with things. You'd help in whatever way you could. As for……my feelings……..I…….I don't know," he said.

"Conner?" Kira pressed, trying to get him to open up. Conner sighed.

"I didn't think you'd want me," he blurted out honestly. "The whole world knows about….you…and uh….._him_…" Conner spoke. Kira understood right away he was referring to her engagement from a few years ago. "I figured, you being in a world of successful pretty boy stars like Mike Vogel….you wouldn't want someone like me." Conner looked at her. "You're beautiful, Kira, and talented, witty, funny, just…..fantastic. I didn't think there was any way you'd see me as anything other than Conner McKnight, your friend." Kira sighed.

"But things change Conner... You know that I was the one who dumped Mike right?" She questioned. Conner shrugged.

"At the time, I wasn't in contact with Ethan or anyone. So anything I got was from…….well….media," he admitted. Kira rolled her eyes as she recalled the things the tabloids said about her and Mike's break up. Some had said that he had dumped her via telephone while filming a movie on location in London. Some had stated that she caught him in bed with another woman and ended their engagement. Suffice to say, neither accounts, nor whatever variations that sprang from them, were true. "Did you really jab him in the eye with your engagement ring after finding him with Paris Hilton?" Conner asked, smirking a bit. That headline had been the most amusing to him at the time. Kira snorted.

"Please, he wasn't anywhere near Paris Hilton when we broke up..." She trailed off thinking back a bit. "First of all, I didn't find him in bed with Paris, or Lindsay, or anyone else the tabloids claimed it was. He didn't cheat on me. Nor did he dump me over the phone, email, telegram, whatever. It was about a month before he left to film the movie in London, we had been discussing wedding details with this obnoxious wedding planner we had just hired and….I just realized……I was getting hung up on the little things. I mean, I didn't think about whatever joy came with marrying someone I loved, all I talked about was the annoying wedding planner and how much things were going to cost. I wasn't even looking forward to going dress shopping…….and that's when I realized, I didn't love Mike."

"You didn't?" Conner asked, slightly surprised. Kira shook her head.

"Not in the way he deserved," Kira said. "And to be honest, I don't think he loved me that way either. Things just had too much of a 'if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with' feel to it. I could tell that his mind was always on Courtney, the girl he had broken up with before we started dating, and truthfully…..my mind was…" Kira blushed, looking away. "My mind was always on you," she said softly. Conner looked up at her, surprised. Kira took a deep breath and continued on with her story. "Anyway," she said. "One night, I just told Mike I couldn't marry him. It just wasn't right. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's a great guy and we still keep in touch, as friends, but that's it. I just realized that though I loved him like a friend, I wasn't in love with him, like I should've been with the man I was to marry. He was really understanding about it. I mean, we had both been thinking the same thing and just hadn't known how to bring it up without hurting each other."

"So," Conner said, following the story. He figured to save asking her about her previous comment for another time. "How exactly did the tabloids get the wrong message?"

"Mike's publicist. He thought it'd be bad for Mike's image as an up and coming sex symbol if the world found out he was dumped." She shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal. Anyway, after we ended things, Mike got back in touch with Courtney and they got married and had a baby a few years ago."

"So they decided to sacrifice your image instead?" Conner asked, anger filling his voice. Kira's eyes widened, shocked by his anger.

"Whoa, whoa," she said quickly putting her hands on his shoulder to settle him. "It wasn't a big deal," she said. She gave him a smile. "I really didn't care. It wasn't as if they were saying _I _had cheated."

"But still!" Conner replied. "They had to go and tarnish your reputation just so that he wouldn't be the guilty party!"

"Conner, calm down," Kira said. "First of all, if anything, the stories that came out of the whole thing made me look even better. I'm not exactly sure how in the world making Mike into a cheater or someone who dumps his fiancée over the phone made him look good, but," she said, shrugging, "whatever." Conner sighed a little.

"As long as you're okay with it." He replied.

"I was then and still am now. I never gave a crap about what the tabloids said. I actually found it hilarious how people seemed to find a new spin on the things to make it sound so scandalous." Conner nodded as the two settled into a quiet atmosphere, looking at each other. Conner cleared his throat after some time.

"So……what you said about…..your mind being on me……Uh……what did you mean by that?" He asked. Kira smiled a little.

"Everyone always thought that Mike was the perfect guy. He could turn from the gorgeous boy next door to the scruffy, rugged man in a blink of an eye... It wasn't that I didn't appreciate the fact that he was amazing to look at... It just seemed at times that he was too good looking." Kira shrugged. "If that makes sense."

"So…..I'm not good looking, therefore a refreshing change?" Conner asked, confused. Kira rolled her eyes.

"That's not it at all," she said. "I just mean that…..he was just too perfect. And he sometimes bought into it. Not to say he was an egotistical jerk or something. I just mean…he let the raising attention given to his sex symbol…..ocity……let him became a little high maintenance when it came to going out. And then there was the fact that……I don't know…..the whole girls throwing themselves at him…..it didn't bother me…..not like….uh…well….."

"Not like what?"

"You and Krista, back in high school," she admitted. Conner blinked.

"Wait…what?" He asked, shocked. Kira sighed, running a hand over her face.

"It really bugged me." She replied.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Conner asked.

"Because..I didn't understand _why _it bugged me," she said.

"Well any answer would have been better than nothing." Conner replied. Kira shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't think you would have been overly impressed with me coming up to you and declaring that I thought that Krista was a dingbat as a viable answer for why it bugged me."

"You thought Krista was a dingbat?" Conner asked.

"No, not really," Kira said. "I mean, sure her overly crunchy granola attitude was a little annoying but she was a sweet girl. So that was even more reason why I couldn't understand why it bugged me so much that you two were making googly eyes at each other."

"So that would be why you really avoided us the entire night of Prom." Conner mused. Kira nodded, remembering the lame excuse that she'd made to them.

"I felt bad saying that I had to get up early the next day, but I just didn't want to be there anymore... Especially around you and Krista together."

"So when did you finally find out why it bugged you?" Conner asked. Kira bit her lip.

"When you fell off the radar, I started realizing how much not having you around really hurt," she said. Conner looked down, beginning to feel like dirt. "I mean even when the only contact we had was emails and the occasional phone call, it was something. And then when those stopped…..I was just so upset. I started realizing that maybe my feelings for you were deeper than friendship. And then when Mike and I were together and I saw that I wasn't bugged by girls throwing themselves at him, I realized I didn't love him….and that I had loved you." Conner was silent for a moment.

"I'm not really sure what to say." He finally replied. Kira shook her head.

"You don't need to say anything," she said. Conner looked up at her.

"We wasted the past ten years…..ten years we could've been together if I hadn't settled for Krista because I thought you wanted to go to prom with Trent," he said. "Doesn't that bother you?"

"No," Kira said. "I mean, we were kids back then. Kids who didn't understand their feelings and didn't know how to approach certain situations. Had we gotten together back then, chances are we wouldn't have lasted past the first semester of freshman year in different colleges. We're older and wiser now." Conner shrugged.

"It could have worked." He replied.

"Would it?" Kira asked. She shook her head. "Why are you so hung up on what could've been any way? We're together now, isn't that what matters?" Conner sighed.

"Of course that matters," Conner said. "I just…I mean, that….if we'd been together back then….maybe I would've known of that joy Ethan was talking about." Kira stared at him, her eyes widening slightly.

"You mean us…..married?" She asked.

"Yeah," Conner said. "What's wrong?" He asked, taking note of her expression.

"It's nothing I just…I'm just surprised marriage is even something you'd bring up at this point of our relationship." Conner shrugged his shoulders again.

"Would it be such a bad thing if it did happen?" he asked. Kira bit her lip.

"No," she replied with all honesty. "I just…with everything that's going on right now, I just think we should pace ourselves," she said. Conner's face fell. Kira winced. "Wait, no, that's not what I mean," she said quickly, afraid that he was misinterpreting her words. "I want to marry you," she blurted out. She froze, surprised she said that. Conner's ears perked up at that as well.

"Oh really now?" He asked, eyes twinkling a bit. Kira groaned.

"Well, I do love you, and I'm not some commitment phobic head case," she paused, looking back on her spotty relationship history after Mike, "anymore," she muttered under her breath. "So yes……I do want to marry you….**someday**," she said, stressing the word. Conner's face fell a little.

"Soon someday, or eventually someday?" he questioned.

"Conner, we haven't even been together for a whole month yet, it's a little soon to-"

"Kira," Conner said, cutting her off. Kira sighed.

"Isn't there some….middle ground between the two options? Like…..someday not too soon or something?"

"No." He replied. Now Kira's face fell at that. "I need to know where your head's at when it comes to us," he said.

"I…….So what are you saying, if I don't give you the answer you want…..what?" She asked. "It's over?"

"I'm not saying that no. I'd just like an answer. Obviously yeah we're going to get married, but when is the better question." He replied. Kira blinked. She was relieved to hear that but at the same time was unsure how to respond. "Well?" Conner asked.

"Conner, we're about to embark on something major. We're going up against some homicidal maniac who's already killed so many people. I just……I don't know if I can give you the answer you want," she said, looking down. Conner sighed.

"This new…threat….I let it dictate my life for six years. I don't want to let them have that control over me anymore," he said.

"So what your saying is you want to do this...now?" She questioned. Conner was silent. "What happens if something goes wrong an-"

"If we keep thinking of the what ifs, nothing will ever get done and we'll be too scared to get married and we'll be letting this psycho run our lives Kira." Conner replied. Kira took a deep breath.

"Conner, not now," she finally said. Conner was silent for some time.

"So, I guess that's the answer, then," was all he said. Kira closed her eyes.

"Conner," she said softly. "Please don't say it like that."

"Why not?" He countered. Kira rubbed at her face for a moment.

"Because you make it sound like I don't want to marry you at all." She replied softly.

"Well that's what you make it sound like," he replied.

"Conner, you know that's not true!" She exclaimed. "I **do **want to marry you, honestly. I just don't think now, right when we're about to deal with all of this, is the right time to get into wedding plans or anything."

"Then we won't have a huge and lavish wedding. Kira, we have Trent. We can get married by a Justice of the Peace and Trent would be our witness." Conner replied, taking her hands in his and rubbing small circles on the back of her palms with his thumbs. Kira looked into his eyes. She could see in his eyes that this was something he truly wanted. He loved her and wanted to marry her. She wanted to marry him as well. A part of her wanted to jump to her feet, pull him and Trent out the door and get to City Hall as soon as possible, but another part of her was scared. It was just too soon. She'd heard enough stories of colleagues in the music industry who married too soon and got divorces or annulments not long after. She didn't want that to happen with her and Conner. And then there was the fact that their newly wedded bliss could distract them from the dangers they were about to face.

"Conner," she finally spoke, squeezing his hand. "Just….let's compromise," she said. The rubbing on the back of her hands stopped.

"Why don't I like the sound of this?" He asked. Kira shook her head.

"Just listen to me," she implored. Conner nodded, willing to hear her out. "We give it six months," she said.

"Six months?" Conner asked. Kira shot him a look and Conner closed his mouth immediately

"Six months, McKnight, take it or leave it," she said. Conner quirked an eye brow at her.

"Why six months?" He asked.

"Because, Conner, we've only been together for three weeks. Half of which we've spent being annoyed with each other,"

"I haven't been annoyed at you," Conner said quickly.

"Okay, half of which I've spent annoyed at you," she clarified. "I just…..we need to be sure this isn't a mistake."

"Kira-"

"And," Kira continued quickly, not giving him a chance to get a word in edgewise. "We need to have the business with this new team settled before we can even think about getting married," she said. Conner sighed.

"You're serious about this." He replied. Kira nodded. Conner looked at her, thinking about this. He could understand her point. Not so much the length of time they'd been together, but because them getting married could distract them. He furrowed his thought as he thought deeply about what to do. After some time, he stood up, pulling Kira to her feet. Kira looked at him with a confused look. "Stay right there," he instructed. Kira, unsure of what else to do, did so. Conner went to the small desk on the other end of the basement. Kira watched as he dug in the desk drawer for a few minutes before seemingly finding something. He stood with his back to her for a bit as his hands seemed to be working on something. After about a minute, he walked over to her. The second he got close to her, he got down to one knee, taking her left hand in his. In his other hand, Conner presented what he had worked on: a paper clip which he had bent into a circle. He held the paper clip to the tip of her ring finger, his eyes gazing up at her.

"Conner, what are you doing?" Kira asked, finding this to be very corny.

"Kira," Conner said, speaking softly. "Will you marry me?" He asked, smiling at her. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Didn't we cover this already?" She asked. Conner sighed.

"Come on," Conner said. Kira snickered softly.

"Okay, I'm sorry," she said. "Yes, Conner, I will marry you," she said. Conner smiled and slowly slid the paper clip on her finger before getting back to her feet.

"Six month," he said, taking her in his arms. "I'm replacing that with a diamond ring," he said. Kira blinked and looked at him, confused.

"Wait, what?" She asked. Conner sighed.

"I thought about it," Conner said. "You're right, it's too soon, and we've got too much else to worry about."

"But I didn't mean I didn't-"

"I know," Conner said. He stroked her face gently. "So, we wait six months to take care of it being too soon now, and to give me time to get you the ring you truly deserve, and get engaged."

"And when do we get married?" Kira asked. Conner bit his lip, pausing for a second before looking at her, determination shining in his eyes.

"When we take care of this green psycho and whoever his master is, for good." Kira smiled.

"Alright." She replied throwing her arms around him. Conner laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I do love you, Conner," she said. Conner smiled, feeling at peace with her in his arms.

"I love you too," he said. They stepped out of the hug, kissing softly.

"So," she said, holding her hand out to look at her 'ring'. "Is this my pre-engagement ring?" She asked. Conner smirked.

"No," he said. "It's a paper clip," came his smart ass reply. Kira rolled her eyes and smacked him on the arm lightly.

"You're not funny," she said, giving him a playful glare. Conner laughed. "I know." He replied kissing her. After a moment Kira pulled away.

"Seriously though." She replied. "Are you okay with waiting?" She asked. Conner sighed and pulled her back in his arms.

"Sure," he said as she tucked her head under his chin. "I'd love to marry you as soon as possible," he said. "But as long as we're together, I'd wait forever," he said. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Cheesball." She replied as she snuggled deeper into his embrace. "But that's why I love you," she said softly. Conner smiled.

"And here I thought it was my charm and stunning good looks," he said.

"Eh," she replied.

"Eh?" He asked. "Eh?" His hands trailed down to her sides. "You sure you want to stick with that answer?" He asked. He felt Kira nod against his chest. "All right," he said. Suddenly, his fingers attacked her sides, tickling her without mercy.

"Conner!" Kira squealed as she squirmed against him, trying to get away. Conner laughed as his arms tightened around her and continued to tickle her. "Okay! Okay!" She said, gasping between laughs. "It is your charm and good looks," she said.

"What kind of good looks?" He asked as he continue to tickle her.

"Conner!" She whined.

"Say it," Conner chuckled.

"All right!" Kira yelled. "Stunning good looks!" Conner laughed as he stopped the barrage of tickles to her sides.

"Right in one." He grinned as he kissed her cheek. Kira groaned and punched his arm. Conner laughed. "Come on," he said. "Let's go eat something," he said as he took her hand.


	10. New Faces

After the three former rangers took some time to recover from Ethan's message, they gathered once again in the basement. Trent, Kira and Conner all stood at one of the tables in the lab, the six files opened in front of them as they gazed down at the six pictures.

"Before we start," Conner began, "we need one more thing," without another word, Conner walked over to the large computer console and got down to his knees. He tapped at a panel on the console a few times before the seemingly stationary metal popped out, falling in his hands. Once the secret panel opened, he reached in, reaching across the wires that were visible. Trent and Kira watched as he pulled out a large black lockbox. Once the box was out and set on the ground, he replaced the covering, returning the hiding place to its previous inconspicuous appearance. He stood back up and returned to the table, placing the box by the pictures.

"Is that what I think it is?" Kira asked softly. Instead of answering, Conner opened up the box to reveal six differently colored gems, much like the gems they had once worn as Power Rangers.

"I'm guessing that'd be a yes," Trent muttered as he and Kira were awed by seeing the gems. Each gem shone as the light hitting it, revealing the beautiful colors: blue, white, pink, red, black and yellow.

"Wow," Kira breathed. Conner looked down at the gems before looking up at them.

"Before we start talking about these kids," Conner began, even he knew calling them kids was an exaggeration since even the youngest was just six years younger than them, but the three of them were aged beyond their years, especially Conner. Bearing the responsibility of being rangers had matured them so much as teens and with Conner's clandestine work, he personally felt more like someone in his forties instead of the late 20s he was actually in. "We need to talk about where we're going to stand," he continued. "I have no intention of warming the bench while these six face the bad guys," Conner said, determination clear in his tone. "And I need to know where you guys stand."

"I'm in," Trent and Kira said simultaneously, without a hint of hesitation in their voices. Conner smiled.

"Good," he said. "I guess we need to figure out who's going to be who," he said. He began pulling the gems out and setting them on the table. He placed the pink, white and yellow gems out first before going to pull out the black gem. The gem lingered in his hand a bit, as his mind went to the one who used to wear black, before setting it down next to the other gems. The same occurred when he pulled out the blue gem. He picked up the red gem and stopped short as the small jewel glowed in his hand the second he picked it up. He gave a small amused puff of air. "Well, I guess that answers what color I'm going to be, huh?" He joked. Kira smiled.

"You always did look good in red," she said, giving him a wink. Conner chuckled.

"All right," Trent said, "I guess it's our turn," he said to Kira. He placed his hands over the line of gems, slowly running it down the line and hovering over each gem. The second he neared the white gem, the jewel began to glow faintly. He picked it up and watched in wonder as it glowed even brighter in his palm. "Well would you look at that," he mused. Kira smiled at her friend before looking down at the gem. Seeing as both Trent and Conner now held their original colors, she figured the same possibly applied to her, therefore she didn't bother running her hands over all the gems like Trent and simply went straight to the yellow gem. She grinned when she saw that her assumption had been correct as the gem glowed in her hand.

"So glad I won't need a wardrobe overhaul," she joked. She looked at her boyfriend. "Something tells me this isn't just a coincidence," she said.

"I guess Ethan somehow found a way to tap into the mechanics of our old gems when we were making these," Conner mused.

"Thank god for that." Trent replied as he let the gem sit in his hand, glowing. Kira nodded.

"I don't look that great in pink." She commented.

"All right, now that that's settled," Conner began as he looked down at the six pictures before them, "we should probably recruit the newbies," he said. Kira nodded as Trent looked closely at the pictures. His eyes fell on the picture of Ryder Taima, the man he had seen in the aftermath of the attack not too long ago. The phrase uttered by the old man played in his head. _Your paths are not to converge yet. _His mind lingered on the 'yet' part of the sentence. That, coupled with the younger man being one of Ethan's choices for new ranger, just told Trent coming across Ryder and Mr. Hawk was no coincidence and those words could not be dismissed. He himself was never one to put too much stock in signs but when one was flashing in his face with a big flashing neon arrow pointing to the man's picture, Trent wasn't going to ignore it.

"Something tells me he," Trent began, picking up Ryder's picture "is meant to be one of us," he said, setting the picture aside from the rest. Conner looked down at one of the other folders and thought about it for a moment before moving it to the same pile that Ryder's folder had been put into.

"I have a feeling that Jiao-jie is also meant to be one of us." He replied as he dropped it into the pile.

"What makes you say that?" Kira asked.

"Well, you guys heard what Ethan said…we're going to need her. Besides, something tells me if she was important enough to garner a face to face with Ethan, we shouldn't dismiss her."

"Face to face?" Trent asked. "You mean you knew about her?"

"Not in this context," Conner said. "A few weeks ago, Ethan had a book signing for his biography at the bookstore in town…the same one that she," Conner said, pointing to Jiao-jie's photo, "works at."

"Coincidence?" Kira asked.

"I would think that to, except Ethan talked to her for a good long while," Conner said. He shook his head. "I only saw her for two seconds that day, since she was in the back room working on the store's website when I first got there. That's why her face didn't register when we first saw her picture," Conner explained.

"Do you think he talked to her about this?" Kira asked. Conner shook his head.

"I left to pick up Ryan from day care since Ethan was busy with fans and Emily was stuck at work. I came back to pick up Ethan about two hours later after the signing ended and caught the end of the conversation. They were talking about computer stuff, especially the new gaming department of his company."

"Could it be possible that that conversation was just that?" Kira asked.

"Oh yeah, sure," Conner said. "He has a long conversation with a girl who just happens to be one of his picks for new rangers? I don't think so. My bet is he was feeling her out, and not just for a job at his company."

"So he just randomly pick someone off the street?" Trent asked. Kira shrugged.

"That's how we were picked." She replied.

"We weren't random," Conner said. "We came across our gems for a reason. You honestly think it was just coincidence that you, me and Ethan all got detention on the same day, and we ended up in the woods by Dr. Oliver's basement lair? We were meant to come across those gems…and I think Trent's right about Ryder, he was meant to come across him the other day. Now, if Ethan agreed to do the signing at that bookstore because he knew this girl worked there, or that was just the first of many twists of fate remains to be seen, but none of these people are random," Conner said. Kira looked down at the four remaining pictures, her eyes falling on Hayden Underwood.

"Well, if that's the case," she said as she picked up the picture. "I guess he's our third," she said, placing the picture with Ryder and Jiao-jie. Conner and Trent looked at her with questioning looks on their faces.

"What do you mean?" Trent asked.

"Of all the injured people we saw that day…what was it that drew you to Ryder?"

"Well, I saw him trying to perform CPR and thought I'd help," Trent said.

"Yeah, but there were probably other people just like him, what made him stand out?" Kira asked. Trent paused to think before shrugging.

"I don't know," he replied honestly.

"Right. There were dozens of people who were as hurt, if not more, than that girl I saw, but for some reason, she stood out. I was drawn to her, and she just so happened to be Hayden's sister. If Conner's point about this not being coincidence is true, that we were meant to come across these people."

"But that logic fades with her," Trent said, pointing to Jiao's picture. Conner pursed his lips.

"There were four of us back then," Conner said. "Maybe that logic still holds true." Trent and Kira looked at him.

"You think Dr. Oliver came across her?" Kira asked. Conner shrugged.

"Maybe," he said. "You and Trent came across these two," he said, pointing to Hayden and Ryder. "I didn't come across any of them, maybe he did."

"Okay, going with that thought…what if it was any of these people?" Trent asked, his arm sweeping to the remaining pictures. Conner smirked a bit.

"I really don't think the fates out there would really want a guy to be in pink. That'd be too cruel."

"So…..this is part fate and part color/gender coordination, then?" Trent asked, rolling his eyes. Kira snorted.

"Sounds like it." She replied. Conner's smirk widened.

"Hey, you're the one who used to complain about being the only girl on the team back then, so why are you complaining now?"

"I'm not," Kira said. "I'm just saying, basing choosing the team just because a guy in pink would be cruel isn't very…….I don't know……mentor-y?" She said.

"Is that even a word?" Conner asked. Kira rolled her yes.

"You know what I mean," she said. Trent shook his head.

"Are we actually going to be….mentors….to these guys? It's just too….too surreal," he muttered. Kira and Conner looked at him, both nodding in agreement.

"More like creepy." Kira replied. "Can we actually do this? I mean, if…….if Dr. Oliver was here……that'd be one thing……he's done this so many times before, not to mention worn the mentor hat…..and he just…." Her voice trailed off, but the others knew what she was getting at. They all, even Conner, felt at ease at the thought of Tommy providing his guidance. Without it, they felt like lost lambs without a shepherd.

"I know," Conner said. "But we have to do this," he continued. "For Dr. O, for Ethan, for everyone……for the planet as a whole….when we became rangers, we took up the oath to be Earth's line of defense against the psychos. And now's the time to do that again, not to mention lead three others to do the same," as he spoke, Kira and Trent stared at him. "and….what?" He stopped, noticing their stares. Kira smiled.

"That was a very mentor-y little speech," she said. "Maybe we can do this," he said. Trent nodded, agreeing with her.

"I agree." Trent replied. Conner blushed a bit, not realizing he'd gone into "mentor-y" like speak.

"Uh, okay," he said lamely. He sighed. "All right," he said, getting back to business. He looked down at the three photos they had set aside. "Take a look at our new teammates, guys" he spoke.

---

The next day, Trent found himself driving Ethan's car out to the reservation on the outskirts of town. After discussing it with the others, he thought it best he meet with Ryder himself. Something told him, from what happened when he met the younger man, he was almost expected. As he reached the reservation, he pulled out the paper from Ryder's file that listed his address. Once he took another look at it, he continued driving, pulling up to a row of houses. He shut off the car and got out, leaning against the door as he looked around him as he tried to find the house he was looking for.

"The chameleon has finally arrived," said a voice. Trent turned to see Mr. Hawk walking toward him and the car. Trent blinked, finding the man and the things he said incredibly eerie. "How are you, young man?" He asked.

"Uh, I'm all right," Trent said. He stood up from the car and approached the older man. "I'm glad to see you're okay," he said. Mr. Hawk gave him a small smile and nod.

"Yes, Mounted Warrior was good enough to accompany me to the hospital after you saw to us. It turned out the shock of the days events had just given me a mild attack." Trent fixed him with an odd stare.

"And yet you're walking around, not resting?" Trent asked. Mr. Hawk chuckled.

"At my age, you get as much walking around as you can before it is too late," he replied. "Now, onto your business. I don't think I need to ask why you're here," he said, giving him a knowing look.

"I'm looking for Ry…..uh……Mounted Warrior," Trent stated. Mr. Hawk nodded. He directed Trent to the furthest house down the line. Trent nodded and thanked the man before getting back in the car and drove down the line. As he got closer, he began a faint cackling sound. Once he reached the last house, the cackling sound become clearer. He got out of the car to see a house with a large garage connected to it. In the garage, instead of a car, there was a sculpture being worked on by a figure dressed in jeans and a black shirt. His long hair was pulled back in a pony tail and he wore an iron mask as he took a blow torch to the sculpture, emitting the cackling sound and small sparks as he worked. Trent slowly approached the garage, not wanting to startle him and cause some accident. He took a few steps before the blow torch was shut off and set on a workbench near the sculpture. He looked up at Trent and lifted the mask to reveal Ryder. He tilted the mask back and let it rest on the back of his head.

"You may be a chameleon in Mr. Hawk's eyes, but you do realize you're not invisible, right?" He asked with the beginnings of a smirk on his lips. Trent couldn't help but return the gesture with a small smile as he continued his approach to the garage.

"Wasn't sure you saw me. I figure it'd be unwise to startle someone with a blow torch," he replied. Ryder gave a small expelling of breath in slight amusement before nodding. "So, what brings you here?" He asked, getting to the point. Trent paused for a moment.

"I thought you already knew," he said. Ryder took the mask off and set it on the work table as he walked from behind the sculpture.

"Mr. Hawk's vision said you were coming….wasn't too clear on the why," Ryder responded. Trent nodded.

"I see," he said. He walked in the garage and took a looked around. Besides the work in progress sculpture, the room help many other pieces of work. The corner held an easel and canvas facing away from them, the other corner held a drum, that from the gray stains along the rim, Trent could tell it held clay. "Renaissance man of the art world, I see," Trent said. Ryder's file had expressed the younger man's interest in art but Trent figured that, like him and his drawing, it was concentrated in one medium.

"Art's art," Ryder replied. "Figured it's the true artist's responsibility to try to master as many forms as he can." Trent couldn't help bite the inside of his cheek at what that implied—that because he focused solely on drawing, he wasn't a true artist.

"Right," Trent replied. "So, uh, why don't you tell me a bit about this vision Mr. Hawk had?"

"Sure. But how about you at least let me know the name of whom I'm speaking to?" Ryder said. Trent blinked. In all of their conversing, he forgot they hadn't exchanged introductions. He understood why he forgot. I knew Ryder's name and some information about him, so it didn't cross his mind to do introductions.

"Oh, right," Trent said. "Trent, Trent Mercer," he said. Ryder came closer to him as the two shook hands.

"Ryder Taima," he replied. Trent nodded, figuring it best to keep the fact that he already knew his name to himself. He tilted his head, gesturing to two chairs against the wall. Trent went to the chairs as Ryder went to a mini fridge by the other wall and took out two bottles of soda. He joined Trent and handed him one. Trent thanked him, grateful for the refreshment in the Texan heat. The two settled in their seats and enjoyed their drinks as Ryder began to speak.

"There were two visions. One came not to long after the attack on the ice cream parlor in town, the other a few days after we met you." Trent blinked, surprised by this information. He wondered if when the visions occurred held any significance. "He told me of a man dressed in our people's warrior garb walking along a path in the woods. He had lost his horse somewhere along his travels and was now trying to find him," Ryder continued. Trent sat and listened intently. "As the warrior walked along the path, he came across a chameleon. The warrior followed the chameleon and it led it to a clearing in the woods where a cheetah, sparrow and falcon stood waiting for him. Behind them, there were two other figures but they couldn't be made out. That was the first vision Mr. Hawk had," Ryder said.

"And the second?" Trent asked. Ryder nodded, and took a sip from his bottle before continuing.

"The second was much like the first one, except this time the falcon was gone. The chameleon, cheetah and sparrow mourned for the falcon but still had the same sense of duty they had had in the first vision. Though, it seemed like this time the duty was even more………I guess…….important…..now that the falcon was gone. And, unlike the first vision, this time the other two animals were a bit clearer to see."

"What were the two other animals?" Trent asked.

"A fox and a chimp," he stated. "The chimp seemed to move around a lot but also seemed to stay by the sparrow, as if she was the one who guided him there, like the chameleon had guided the warrior. But the fox….she seemed independent, lost, and hesitant to come near any of them. Mr. Hawk said she'd wonder over to where the falcon had been perched before, but then walk away again." Trent raised an eyebrow a bit. He found it interesting that the animals all seemed to have a specific gender. It seemed that they represented people. He then wondered who the animals represented. By Mr. Hawk's greeting, Trent figured he was the chameleon and there was no question that Tommy was the falcon, nor that Kira was the sparrow or Conner the cheetah. But who were the other two? He thought about how the chimp's movements were described. Could it be that it was the sparrow's interaction with it that led it to the group? If that was the case, it further solidified Hayden's place amongst the new team. That then left the question of the fox. Trent found it eerie that, if these two new animals represented the new team, and the fox, a female, seemed to venture by where the falcon had been….it meant not only did Jiao have a destined spot on the team, but meant that Conner was right and she had interacted with Tommy on that fateful day. Ryder looked at Trent for a moment.

"Are you alright?" He questioned. Trent blinked as he was torn from his internal ponderings. He looked at Ryder.

"Yeah…just thinking…." He said. He cleared his throat and took a sip of his soda. "So, what do you think his visions mean?" Ryder smiled a bit, as if he could see right through Trent.

"Well, seeing as you're here, I think it means I'm supposed to follow you." Trent looked at him.

"You don't even question it? What if the chameleon's leading the warrior to certain doom?" Trent wasn't trying to dissuade the younger man, but found his blind faith to be a bit strange. Ryder's smiling expression turned pensive as he seemed to look off into the distance.

"I did question it at first," he spoke. "But with all the things that have been happening in town lately…I just get the feeling that the warrior….Me…….I'm supposed to follow the chameleon because of it. To stop it." Trent blinked, taken aback by this insight. Ryder looked at him. "Am I right?"

"You're right." Trent replied, still obviously somewhat thunderstruck. Ryder nodded, understanding. Trent was finding all this to be too surreal and thought it best to deal with all this with Kira and Conner. "You're going to have to follow me…..to the…..uh, sparrow and the cheetah," he said. He peered at Ryder, wondering if common sense would take over blind faith and tell him that following some complete stranger wasn't the wisest of things. Ryder simply stood up.

"My car's parked in the back, lead the way," he simply replied, which only further dumfounded Trent. Trent downed the rest of his soda in one big gulp before standing up.

"You're kind of weird, you know that, right?" He stated honestly. Ryder just laughed.

"If following some old man's visions and seeing them as prophecy is weird than….all right, I'm a weirdo," he said, comically relenting to the fact. Trent couldn't help chuckle a bit, shaking his head as Ryder picked up his car keys from a nearby table.

"Hey," Trent spoke, making Ryder look at him. "In the visions, did anything happen after the warrior came across all the animals?"

"Mr. Hawk didn't say," Ryder replied. He furrowed his brow for a minute. "All he did say was that I should pay close attention to the fox," he shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure what that meant." Trent thought about it for a moment.

"No idea... We'll just have to wait and see." He replied. Ryder nodded as the two left the garage. Trent got in Ethan's car and waited as Ryder pulled his car from around the back. As he waited, he sent a text message to Kira's cell phone---

_Found R, bringing him to house._

Trent closed his phone and put it in his pocket just as Ryder's car appeared from behind the garage. Trent nodded to Ryder from his rearview mirror and fired up the engine, driving back to the house with Ryder in tow.

---

A little after Trent had left to speak with Ryder Kira figured she, like Trent was doing with Ryder, should be the one to seek out Hayden, given that she had already met him. She grabbed Hayden's file and made her way to the Texas State campus in town. Once she got there, she parked in the guest parking lot and got out to search for the young man. As she walked along the campus, she hoped she hadn't arrived while he was in class. She'd have no way of finding him.

As Kira kept walking, she found herself being drawn towards the campus soccer field. As she got closer to the field, she paused as she saw a lone figure practicing. He was dressed in a pair of blue and white gym shorts and a blue t-shirt. He kicked the black and white ball up with the tip of his sneaker clad foot and bounced it on his knee. Kira paused by the nearby row of bleachers and watched him as he gave a high knee kick and leaned forward, letting the ball glide across his shoulders. Once the ball hit the ground, he kicked it up again and went back to bouncing it with his knees. Kira couldn't help feel a wave of nostalgia wash over her as she watched him, remembering how animated Conner was back when he had a soccer ball on hand. He'd laugh, jump around, and just generally be happy. Sure, in there time together he seemed to be regaining his old self, but the glow about him still seemed diminished. She understood it had to do with the stress of all the years of running and the losses they've been forced to endure. She just hoped that there'd be a way to find the Conner she knew and loved all those years ago.

"Can I help you?" Kira was torn from her thoughts by the figure on the field letting his ball drop and addressing her. Kira blinked and stepped away from the bleachers and saw she had been watching Hayden this whole time. His eyes widened a bit as he recognized her. "Oh, wow, it's you," he said. Kira smiled a little.

"Yeah. I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Kira." She replied, sticking her hand out. Hayden smirked.

"Uh duh," he replied, laughing a bit. "Everyone knows Kira Ford. In all the craziness of that day, Cass and I didn't realize that….you know….it was **you**. I mean, we realized it was you just……you know what I mean, the whole 'holy crap, celebrity' thing didn't kick in," he said. Kira nodded, making an O with her mouth, realizing her fame had followed her to Dallas. She saw that he wasn't shaking her hand so let it fall to her side.

"I don't know if I'd call myself a celebrity," she muttered humbly. "Is she okay?" Kira asked, wondering how the girl had fared after she left them with the paramedics. Hayden nodded.

"The squirt just needed some stitches and was a little shaken for a while, but all in all she was okay," he informed.

"That's good," Kira said with a nod. Hayden aimlessly tossed the soccer ball between his hands.

"So, what brings you here?" He asked, tossing the ball back and forth. Kira bit her lip, trying to think of the best way to tell him why she was there.

"This might sound a little strange, but I need your help." She replied. Hayden stopped the ball and held it with both hands.

"Uh…sure. I mean, you did help my little sister, I guess it's the least I could do," he said, though seemed confused as to how he could help her. "What can I do?" Kira blinked.

"Uh…well…" She began. She shut her mouth. She went to open her mouth when she felt her cell phone vibrate against her hip. "Oh, one second," she said, She pulled her phone out and saw the text message from Trent, telling her he was returning to the house with Ryder. She looked at Hayden. "Are you doing anything right now?" She asked. Hayden's eyes widened a bit.

"Oh….uh…..wow…..Miss Ford, I'm really flattered but I-" he began. Kira quickly got what he thought she meant, her eyes going wide as her cheeks blushed furiously.

"No, no!" She quickly exclaimed. "I wasn't asking you out…" she sputtered, shocked that he'd assume that. Hayden let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank god." He replied, laughing a little. Kira blinked. Though she was appalled by this….well, kid…assuming she was asking him out, she was a little offended that he seemed so relieved that she wasn't asking him out.

"Gee, thanks," she muttered. She shook her head. "Anyway, so, are you?" Going back to the business at hand.

"Uh, no…I'm free," he said, still confused.

"Good," Kira said. "Would you mind coming with me?" She asked. Hayden's expression seemed to grow even more confused.

"Uh, this isn't some weird, creepy Hollywood cult recruitment, is it?" He asked. "Because, I should let you know, I don't exactly have a whole lot of worldly possessions to forsake in order to be in a cult…plus I'm not much of a poisoned kool-aid drinker," he said. Kira stared at him.

"It's not a cult," she said slowly, as her mind tried to grasp what in the world made Ethan think he was a likely candidate for the team.

"Oh, okay then!" Hayden replied. He walked past her and retrieved his backpack from the bleachers, stuffing his ball in it as he walked back to her. "So, lead the way, I guess," he said. Kira blinked.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a little queer?" She asked. Hayden seemed to smirk at that.

"Probably not that way you mean, but yeah," he said. Kira furrowed her brows but decided to leave it alone as she walked back to the parking lot, Hayden following close behind. She got into Emily's car and waited for Hayden to climb in the passenger seat as she turned on the engine and drove towards the house.

As this went on, Conner sat in the house, waiting for Kira and Trent to return with Ryder and Hayden. He had already set up the house for the arrivals and figured it was now time to reach out to the remaining member of the recruits. He opened up the file and scribbled out a note for Trent and Kira as he grabbed his car keys.

---

Across town, the shrill sound of an alarm clock awoke a dark haired figure. Her body spasmed awake under the covers as she reached her hand out and slammed it on the clock. She groaned, lifting her head to look at the clock. 8:30. She had an hour before she had to report to work.

"All right, Jay," she coached herself. "Time to wake up." She sighed and sat up in bed, pushing her long hair out of her face as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got up. She stretched a bit, pulling her white cotton pajama bottoms up from where they had slid down to her waist and adjusting the strap of her pink tank top as she walked towards the mirror of her boudoir. She combed her fingers through her hair as she stopped in front of a framed picture that hung at the side of her mirror. The picture held an elderly woman baring a soft smile. Jiao-jie kissed her fingertips and placed them on the picture.

"Zao chen hao, Lao Lao," she said softly. Her eyes shifted to the surface of her boudoir and grabbed the small black framed glasses that sat there, putting them on as she made her way to her kitchen. She put pieces of bread into her toaster before ducking down to the cupboard beneath her counter and pulling out a bag of dry cat foot. "Tybalt," she called, shaking the bag a bit, letting the rattle of the food inside the bag ring out. "Pss, pss, pss. Come on, get your breakfast," she called. She sighed and went over to the food dish and poured some of the bag's content in it before returning the bag to the cupboard. She turned to see the cat was nowhere to be seen. "Oh prince of cats, get your furry butt in here," she said, rolling her eyes. She sighed and turned to the toaster as the bread popped out. She grabbed a slice and walked back to her bedroom, munching on the crispy bread. She set the half eaten bread on her boudoir as she grabbed a white hair-tie and pulled her hair up in a high pony tail before venturing to her closet. It was one of her favorite qualities in her humble abode. The closet was medium sized and without a door, something that her boss, when helping her find a place had seen as a deterrent only made Jiao want to rent the place even more.

Jiao pulled back the soft curtain she'd placed as a makeshift door on the closet and stepped in, looking to see what to wear for the day. As she looked at her selections, she felt something furry rub against her angle. She chuckled a bit as she looked down to see her small tuxedo kitten leisurely walking past her legs.

"So, here's where you've been hiding," she said picking up the small creature. The cat purred in her arms as she scratched its head. She set the animal down and patted its behind. "Your breakfast's ready, scoot." The animal got that the pat on it's behind was indication that it was to go somewhere and therefore obeyed. Jiao picked out her clothes and walked to her bed, setting her selection down on the bed as she finished off her piece of toast. After sweeping the crumbs into the wastebasket she kept in her room, she got dressed, her outfit consisting of a pair of black tights that ended at the middle of her calves, a jean skirt and a red and grey fitted rugby shirt. The shirt had originally belonged to her older brother Kai, but after years of color fade, the red now looked more like pink, and he, not wanting to walk around in a pink shirt gave it to her. She took it, running it through it through the hot water wash a few times to make it shrink to fit her, and decided not to complain his gift came only due to him not wanting it anymore.

Jiao freed her pony tail from the collar of her shirt and went back to the boudoir, slipping on the necklace she always wore—a soft pink lotus flower on black cord—before returning to her kitchen to grab her second piece of bread. She stepped over Tybalt happily crunching away at his breakfast and grabbed the 2nd piece of toast before going to her living room and picking up her keys, ipod and white messenger bag.

"Bye Tybalt," she called out before shutting the door and descending her porch steps. She climbed into her beat up white Chevy. She'd only owned the car for a few weeks but already mastered what series of pounds and beats got the doors to cooperate. "All right, Shirley," she said, using the name the car's previous owner had insisted it was called. "Behave for me today and you might just earn yourself a new paint job," she said as she turned the key in the ignition. The car sputtered to life. "Good girl," Jiao smiled as she pulled the car away and made her way to work. Twenty minutes later found her pulling up in the employee parking space behind her place of work---Ferguson's Lil Shop of Covers. She shut off the car and grabbed her bag as she got out, making her way to the side entrance. She went to pull the keys to the shop out, only to see that the door was already unlocked. She checked her watch, surprised seeing as she expected to be the first one in. Figuring her bosses decided to come to the store early, she shrugged it off and walked in. "Hello?" she called out.

"Oh, good morning, Joy," she heard Mrs. Ferguson, one of her bosses respond. Jiao cringed a bit. Leave it to her to have such an involved boss who'd actually look up the Americanized version of her name and use it as a nickname. Jiao sighed and followed the sound of the older woman's voice. She found her crouched by a box of books, setting up a display.

"'Morning Mrs. Ferguson," she said. The woman looked at her.

"Joy," she admonished. "How many times have I told you, call me Sue," she said. Jiao smirked.

"I'll stop calling you Mrs. Ferguson if you stop calling me Joy," she said. Sue sighed, rolling her eyes at the precociousness of her young employee.

"How could I, when you're such a joy to work with?" She said, giving the girl a smile. Jiao rolled her eyes and went around the bookcase she was standing by to see the display Sue was setting up. She was a little surprised to see it was a display in dedication to the late Ethan James. The case was filled with copies of his biography and computer guides he had penned in the earlier years of his career. The display also had pictures from when he had come to the store.

"Oh," Jiao said softly. "I didn't know you guys were doing….uh…this," she said awkwardly. Sue looked up from the box of books.

"Well, it seems right. I only wish we could've set it up sooner. We just got the shipment of his earlier books yesterday though," she explained. Jiao gave an absent nod as her eyes focused on a picture of her and the deceased man that Sue had taken. She found her mind wondering back to that day.

_Jiao emerged from the store's backroom, finally finished with fixing the problems with the store's website. She saw that the crowd from the signing was starting to clear out. She sighed, grateful she hadn't been forced to pander and assist to the large multitude of customers. She approached Sue by the register._

"_Website has been repaired," she informed. Sue smiled._

"_Thank you, Joy," she said. Jiao sighed and stepped around her, manning the second cash register. After some time the remaining crowd cleared and now only avid fans of Ethan James remained to pick his brain and get pictures with him. Jiao looked up to see Mr. James making his way over to the registers. _

"_Mrs. Ferguson," he said, addressing Sue, "thank you so much for hosting the event here in your store," he said, smiling her. Sue smiled and patted his arm._

"_Oh Mr. James, the pleasure is all ours," she said. "Oh," she said, casting a look over at Jiao, who was dividing her attention between observing their interaction and bagging a customer's purchase. "This is the young woman I was telling you about," she said. Jiao was caught off guard by Sue gently taking her by the elbow and pulling her over, presenting her to Mr. James. Jiao stared wide eyed between the two, unsure what was going on. "Joy, dear, why don't you let me take care of your customers and you and Mr. James have a nice chat," she said, stepping to the abandoned register before Jiao could respond. Jiao looked at Mr. James and gave a small, nervous chuckle._

"_Uh hi….I mean…hello," she said, sticking her hand out. "Jiao-jie Huang, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. James," she said as he shook her head._

"_Please, call me Ethan," he said. "Sorry for the ambush," he said. "Your boss was singing your praises earlier," he explained. _

"_Oh?" Jiao asked, slightly surprised. Ethan nodded._

"_She told me I just had to meet her computer whiz of an employee," he informed. Jiao blushed a bit._

"_Computer whiz? I don't really know about that," she muttered humbly. The two eased into a conversation, moving from the registers to the small coffee shop area in the store. They sat at one of the tables as the two avidly discussed different computer programs, Jiao's excitement over conversing with one of her idols making her less than social tendencies take a rest for the moment. Their conversation ceased as Sue approached them and Jiao was a surprised when she held up the camera she'd been using the whole day._

"_Smile!" She said. Jiao looked down, not one who usually lavished attention from the camera. Ethan smiled a bit and placed a friendly hand on Jiao's shoulder, giving a bright smile to the camera while Jiao's own half hearted smile looked more like a grimace. She blinked a bit as the flash nearly blinded her. Sue smiled and let them get back to their conversation as she walked away to resume her post at the registers. _

"_So," Ethan said. "My company's starting to develop a gaming department," he said. Jiao took a sip from the latte she had ordered herself._

"_Oh?" She said. "That sounds interesting," she said. Ethan nodded._

"_Well, I was wondering if you'd be interested in a spot in the department," he said. Jiao's eyes widened. _

_  
"What? Me? Really?" She sputtered. "Why?" Ethan smiled._

"_Well, you've got the computer knowledge down pat, and according to your boss, you're a bit of a writer. You'd be perfect in the story developing section, and you're computer knowledge would be helpful. You don't want to know how many writers we get who don't seem to understand the allowances and limitations within gaming. They think the sky's the limit, like it's just like cgi or something, but sometimes that's not the case." Jiao sat back, taking this all in._

"_Wow, I'm…flattered.." she gushed. Ethan smiled and reached into his soft leather briefcase and pulled out a card and pen, handing it to her. _

"_Great, well, let me give you a call once the department gets closer to being up and running," he said. Jiao couldn't scribble out her number and hand it all back to him fast enough._

"Joy?" She heard someone say. Jiao blinked as she felt Sue place a hand on her shoulder, drawing her mind back to the here and now. "Are you all right, dear?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry, just….thinking," she said.

"Well don't think too hard, you've got someone at the counter asking for you," Sue replied, pointing over to the registers where Mr. Ferguson was speaking with a tall man with dark wavy hair. Jiao's brows furrowed.

"Me?" She asked.

"Well, that's what Henry said," Sue spoke. Jiao sighed, she'd been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't even notice Mr. Ferguson had come over just a few minutes before, trying to address her.

"Sorry," she said, apologizing for her spacey behavior before walking over to the counter. As she got closer, she idly recognized him, though unable to remember from where. Henry looked up, seeing her approach and gave the girl a smile.

"So nice to see you've returned to the world of the living, dear," he gently joked. Jiao gave the older man a small forced smile.

"Good morning to you too, Mr. Ferguson," she said. Henry smiled and patted her on the shoulder before going over to assist his wife with finishing up the display. Jiao turned to the man, taking her messenger bag off and placing it behind the counter. Before she could address him, the front door of the store banged open as Jiao's two co-workers, Leanne and Rick walked into the door.

"Never fear everyone, Rick is here," Rick announced as he stretched his arms out and laughed. Leanne shook her head and pushed past him, walking past him as she entered the store. She gave a small greeting to Jiao as she walked to the back of the store to clock in. Rick looked over, catching sight of Jiao. He grinned and walked over to where she stood. "Good morning, beautiful Jay," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder. Jiao rolled her eyes and jerked her elbow back, catching him in the gut. "Oomph!" He said, slightly recoiling from the strike.

"Take it off before I break it off, Blondie," she hissed as she glared at him. Rick quickly pulled his arm away from her.

"So cranky," he muttered as he followed Leanne to the back of the store. Jiao rolled her eyes and turned to face the man, who had been looking on with an amused expression on his face. "Can I help you?" She snapped slightly. He jumped a bit, not expecting her ferocious tone. Jiao sighed and leaned her hip against the counter and tapped her foot a bit. "My boss said you were looking for me…so…..who are you?" She asked, getting to the point.

"Conner McKnight," he said, sticking his hand out to her. Jiao simply nodded.

"All right, Mr. McKnight, what can I help you with?" She asked. Conner blinked and brought his hand down to his side.

"Uh, I'm an……associate of Ethan James, and-" Jiao's eyes widened as she quickly stood up straight.

"Oh!" Jiao exclaimed, slapping her forehead. "Right, you were here with him that day…..I'm such an idiot." Conner, unprepared for this sudden change in demeanor was again caught off guard. "Uh, sorry for the uh……less than cordial attitude," she said, her tone going from pissed off to a now more polite and respectful manner. "Uh, I'm assuming you're here about the gaming department at the company?" She asked.

"Uh no, I-"

"I mean, truth be told, after………well……..what happened……I kind of figured that maybe things would be put on indefinite hold, if not be scrapped completely, out of respect. But it's nice to hear that the CEOs are keeping his memory alive and seeing out his plans and wishes. Of course, it could be seen as just a ploy to get money, which isn't as……respectful…….but I guess it all comes down to perspective, right?" She went on, ignoring Conner's attempts to get a word in edgewise.

"Uh, I guess, but this-"

"Anyway, ever since Mr. James and I spoke, I actually started coming up with ideas,"

"Ideas?" Conner asked, confused.

"Yeah, possible game ideas. How about a game about a valkeryie? You know, something with a female who isn't some gun totting big chested Lara Croft clone to get young girls into gaming, you know, give them a realistic female hero….and it's all about the main character discovering new lands, basically going along with historical accounts……Part fun, part educational," she went on, expressing the same excitement she had had when she spoke with Ethan all those weeks ago.

"Uh……yeah…….that sounds……interesting……..but listen, I-" Conner began. Jiao made a face.

"You hate it?" She asked. Conner sighed, rubbing his forehead out of frustration.

"No, I don't hate it... It's just... That's not why I'm here." He replied. Jiao tilted her head quizzically.

"Then why are you here?" She demanded. Conner's jaw fell open at the sudden change in demeanor again. Great, he thought to himself, Ethan saddled us with some girl with multiple personalities……all of which are psychotic!

"I……" He cast a look around, debating whether or not it was wide to discuss this in such open surroundings. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson were not to far away setting up the memorial display and the two other employees were milling around the store, preparing for the opening. Pretty soon more customers would arrive. He sighed. "It's complicated."

"Is the department not happening?" She asked. "Because, if you're just here to tell me 'sorry ma'm, no job at a computer company for you', you could've just called. No need to take time out of your busy day to deliver the news personally."

"I have no idea what's going on at Ethan's company," he blurted out, getting truly frustrated by their miscommunication. "I'm not a business associate." Jiao looked at him.

"So what are you doing here then?" She questioned. Conner sighed, how was he going to get her to come back to the house with him.

"Look, like I said it's complicated, and I need you to trust me... I need your help and to do that, you need to come with me." Jiao gave a sharp chuckle.

"Uh yeah, don't think so. I'm not stupid here; I know what happens to girls who just go off with strange men. I'm not some naïve country bumpkin, sorry," she said. Conner rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, no offense, but not even a just released prison inmate would look to you for _that_. Your personality alone would make him beg for the serenity of the county jail," he snapped back. Jiao stepped back, raising an eyebrow at him. Conner sighed. Yeah, insulting the girl, not the best way to gain her trust, he thought to himself.

"Impressive," she said, amused. Conner blinked.

"What?"

"Well it's clear that trying to be nice and sensible wasn't working too well for you, so you decided to try and reach me on my sarcastic level." She replied. Conner blinked again as he desperately tried to grasp her logic.

"So….you like the fact that I just insulted you?" He asked, confused. Jiao chuckled.

"I didn't say that. But sarcasm and wit are art forms. I've got to give the artist the praise he's due," she replied. Conner sighed, grateful for all the barbs and jibs he exchanged with Kira and Ethan back in high school. They obviously prepared him for dealing with this oddity dressed as a 23 year old girl.

"You're one weird girl." He commented. Jiao simply shrugged in response.

"You're not the first to say that," she said dismissively.

"And I most likely won't be the last," he commented. Jiao gave him a wry smile.

"Funny," she replied.

"I try." Conner replied dryly. "So are you going to help me or not?" He questioned, getting back to the point. Jiao regarded him carefully, narrowing her eyes as if going over an ancient text.

"It might be a little easier to give you an answer if I knew what I'm helping you with," she replied. Conner sighed.

"I told you, it's-"

"Complicated, right," Jiao cut him off, rolling her eyes. "Could you be any less vague?"

"All I can tell you is," Conner began, pausing for a moment. "It's something Ethan would've wanted you to do," he said, lowering his voice as he saw Leanne walk past them to flip the sign on the door from 'closed' to 'open'. Jiao furrowed her brows as she peered at him over the rim of her glasses.

"You said it doesn't have anything to do with the company," she said, confused.

"It doesn't," he replied.

"I don't follow." She stated. Conner sighed.

"I get that I'm not exactly being the most forthcoming here-"

"Oh no, you're just a fountain of information," Jiao replied sarcastically.

"Would you just shut up and listen?" Conner hissed. "I'm sick of your psychotic bullshit babble trying to interrupt me. This is hard enough as it is without you adding to it." Jiao's eyes widened as she took a step back. Conner's words weren't the same as the insult he'd given before. The one before, though an insult, had the sarcastic and snarky bite that made it harmless. This, on the other hand, wasn't as carefree and playful.

"Yeah," she said slowly. "And on that note, I say thank you and _don't _come again," she hissed. She turned to walk away from him but was stopped by Conner grabbing her arm. Jiao turned back to him, giving him a steely glare. "I really wouldn't do that if I were you," she said lowly, her tone very close to threatening. Conner quickly let go of her arm.

"Look," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that….or grabbed you but…….well, you are very infuriating," he said. Jiao simply crossed her arms, still giving him the cold stare from before.

"It's part of my charm," she replied. "Now, I suggest you leave before I decide to bring out my mean side," she said.

"Isn't that what I've been seeing so far?" Conner asked.

"You've been seeing my 'I'm trying to get you to leave me alone without being forceful' side." She replied. "So, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get to work," she said, turning away.

"I saw you and Ethan talking that day," he blurted out quickly, making Jiao stop. "Your face lit up like a Christmas tree the more he talked. You admired him, didn't you?" He asked. Jiao turned back towards him, her arms still crossed.

"Of course, the guy broke new ground in computer technology before his 25th birthday. He was brilliant, the idol to anyone who's even remotely computer literate," she said with a shrug.

"Ethan was my best friend." Conner replied softly. Jiao pursed her lips.

"I see," she said. She cast a look over to the memorial display which the Fergusons had now finished setting up. She looked back at Conner. "I'm sorry for your loss, really I am," she said. Conner nodded slowly.

"Thank you," he said. "I'm sorry for yours too," he said. "It must be hard to lose someone you admire so much," he said. Jiao sighed.

"Okay, so you've seen that being nice and being mean have both gotten you bumpkis, so now you're trying to relate to me?" She asked. Conner blinked.

"No, I-"

"Man, is there no last ditch effort you won't try?" She asked, giving him an incredulous look. Conner sighed. He swore the second he met Ethan in the afterlife, no matter how soon or later that day will come, he would kick his friend's ass for making him deal with such a difficult person. "Fine," she suddenly said. Conner looked at her.

"What?" He asked.

"I'll hear you out," she said. "I mean, if whatever this is, is important enough to try the Stockholm syndrome approach, it must be worth at least giving a listen to." Conner blinked, rubbing his forehead.

"I think I'm getting a headache," he muttered to himself. Jiao tilted her head.

"Yeah, I seem to have that effect on people."

"No kidding," Conner said.

"Leave the address of the place, and I'll get there after work," she said. Conner nodded and grabbed one of the store's business cards from the counter and scribbled the address on the back, he handed it to Jiao. She looked at it. "This is Mr. James' house," she said, recognizing the address. Conner quirked an eyebrow at her.

"So you're a stalker, I see," he commented. Jiao rolled his eyes.

"No, his address is in the store's database from times he or his wife preordered books from here and we shipped it to them," she stated. She regarded the card for a bit. Though she was hesitant, she had to admit she was intrigued by whatever it was this was all about. She looked at Conner. "I can try and see if I can go on an extended break in an hour or two," she said.

"I can wait," Conner offered. Jiao smirked.

"I don't get into cars with strangers," she said. Conner rolled his eyes.

"Right, see you later," he said, turning towards the store.

"Oh, Mr. McKnight," Jiao called. Conner turned to her.

"It's Conner, he corrected.

"Conner," she amended, "just so you know, the only reason my Ma and Ba let me move out here, far away from all family, was under one condition,"

"Uh…….okay?" Conner said, unsure what this had to do with anything. Jiao looked at him.

"That I agree to carry pepper spray at all times," she stated. "Just a friendly warning if you ever grab my arm like that again," she said, giving a grin which only made her come off as even more psychotic then before. Conner looked at her.

"Right then..." He replied, slowly backing away. This girl was defanlity a few fries short of being a happy meal. "Bye," he quickly said, leaving before he was forced to picture throttling Ethan even more.


	11. The Difficult and The Psychotic

Conner pulled up to the house. He saw that Emily's car was in the driveway, meaning Kira had returned. He wondered if she'd had just a trying time getting Hayden as he had had with Jiao. He parked his car behind what was now Kira's car and got out, walking into the house.

"Kira?" He called.

"Living room," he heard in response. He walked in to the living room to see Kira sitting in the armchair and Hayden occupying the center of the couch.

"Hi," he said, looking over at Hayden. "You must be Hayden," he said, walking over to shake his hand. "I'm-"

"Conner McKnight," Hayden finished for him, getting up and shaking his hand.

"Uh, yeah," he said.

"You taught my sister's History class this past year," Hayden explained. Conner made an O face, nodding. He vaguely remembered a Cassie Underwood in his class, but didn't see a connection while looking at Hayden's file, given that the last name wasn't very uncommon.

"So, uh, was your….outing successful?" Kira asked, drawing Conner's attention to her. Conner sighed.

"Unfortunately, yes," he said. Kira gave him a questioning look. "Oh, you'll understand later," he muttered. Kira just blinked in reply.

"...Right, well Trent's not back yet," she said. Conner nodded.

"The trip to the reservation is a little long," he explained. Hayden looked at them.

"Uh, does someone mind explaining to me what's going on?" He asked. "I mean, she," he said, pointing to Kira. "Said she'd explain when 'the others' got here……well, you're here, so……..yeah, what's going on?" He asked.

"Well the others aren't here yet..." Conner trailed off. Kira nodded.

"I hate repeating myself, so we'll wait. Do you want something to eat or drink?" She questioned.

"Yeah," Conner said. "Uh, we've got some pizza, water, kool-" he stopped as he caught Kira vehemently shaking her head out of the corner of his eye. "…aid…" Hayden bit back a chuckle.

"Uh, no, thanks I'm fine," he said.

"Well, just give us a holler if you need anything," she said as she stood up. "Conner, may I speak with you for a second?" She asked. Conner nodded. The two went into the kitchen.

"Okay, what was that all about?" Conner asked. Kira sighed, shaking her head.

"Just something he said when I found him….about us possibly being a cult and poisoned kool-aid," she said. Conner blinked before laughing a bit. "What?"

"Sounds like you had as much of an interesting time finding your recruit as I did finding mine," he said.

"What do you mean?" Kira asked. Conner sighed.

"Let's just say we'll never have a dull moment with this girl around. Sure, we'll have many homicidal moments, but never dull ones," he said. Kira gave him a sympathetic look before putting a hand on his shoulder.

"That bad?" She asked.

"Oh no, it was worse," he muttered.

"Worse how?" She pressed. Conner looked at her.

"Worse in the fact that when I meet Ethan in the afterlife, I'm going to kick his ass." Kira's eyes went wide.

"Suddenly I'm a little unsure about all this…..well, more unsure," she said. Conner sighed and pulled her closer, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"We'll just make sure we keep aspirin around the house," he joked. Kira chuckled. They heard the front door open and close.

"Hello?" They heard Trent call. Conner and Kira came out to see Trent and Ryder enter the living room.

"Hi," Conner said, welcoming the new arrival. Trent looked around.

"Are we missing someone?"

"How many more people are you guys expecting?" Hayden asked. "Gotta say, this isn't exactly disproving the whole cult theory," he said. Trent looked at Hayden before looking at Conner and Kira.

"We're not a cult," Kira said, rolling her eyes. "We're just waiting for one more person," she looked at Conner. "She is coming, right?"

"After all she put me through, she better be," Conner mumbled. Trent raised an eyebrow.

"Something happened?" He asked. Conner shook his head.

"Long story," he said. Ryder and Hayden looked at the three of them, unsure what they were talking about.

"So we keep waiting?" Hayden asked.

"Yes," Kira said. Hayden rolled his eyes and looked at Ryder.

"Make yourself comfortable, dude," he said as he flopped back down on the couch. Ryder shrugged and followed Hayden's example, sitting down on the other end of the couch. Hayden looked over at him.

"You don't say much, do you?" He asked, baffled over Ryder not giving his two cents of confusion over the situation. He got the feeling Ryder was a newcomer like him to all this, but Ryder didn't seem at all confused or questioning about the whole thing.

"I say things when they need to be said," Ryder shrugged. Hayden blinked.

"Uh…right….sure," he said, looking away as he discretely twirled his finger by his head, mouthing the word 'weirdo'.

Conner looked over just as Hayden made his motion. Shaking his head, Conner looked back at Trent and Kira.

"These three are going to be a handful." He muttered. Trent caught Conner and Kira's gaze and tilted his head toward the front door. They both caught what he meant and nodded. Trent started towards the door as Conner followed, leaving Kira to address the guys.

"We're going to go out to….get some air for a second, so why don't you two just….chill here," she suggested before following the two outside. Once she got there, Conner and Trent were facing each other on the porch. She pulled the door shut behind her and leaned against it as she stood beside Trent.

"So, how'd your chat go?" Conner asked Trent.

"Surprisingly well," Trent commented. "Which was…..weird,"

"What do you mean?" Kira asked.

"He just accepted it. Some stranger shows up at his place, tells him to come with him and he agreed. He told me about some visions his neighbor had and that the visions told him I was his….I don't know….guide I guess," Trent explained.

"Lucky bastard," Conner muttered.

"What?" Trent asked.

"Apparently his meeting didn't go as smoothly," Kira said.

"Not as smoothly would be an understatement," Conner stated. "The girl was psychotic. I mean one minute she was civil, the next minute she was about to rip my head off and eat it for breakfast." Trent and Kira blinked as they looked at something behind Conner.

"Conner…" Trent began.

"Seriously, she made Sybil look sane," Conner went on, getting into rant mode.

"Conner, I really-" Kira began.

"Whatever made Ethan think she'd be-"

"Conner!" Kira and Trent yelled.

"What?!" Conner asked, jumping from their outburst. They fixed him with a stare that screamed 'you're an idiot'. He was about to open his mouth to question it when he heard a car door slam behind him. "Oh my damn," he muttered, just knowing what that meant. "How long has she been there?" He asked.

"I pulled up around the eating your head for breakfast comment," came the reply from the porch steps. Conner winced as he slowly turned around to see Jiao standing there with an amused expression on her face. "Who's Sybil?"

"Sally Fields 70's movie…..multiple personalities," Conner muttered, unsure how else to remove the foot from his mouth.

"I'm not sure if I should take that as an insult or not." Jiao commented. Conner cleared his throat.

"Uh, sorry for….that…I thought you said you'd be here a little later," he said. Jiao grinned.

"Are you sorry you said it, or sorry I heard it?" She innocently asked. Conner looked away, which only made Jiao's grin widen. "Anyway, we were having a slow morning so Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson let me leave for a little while," she said. Kira figured it was best to intervene before Conner choked on his own foot.

"Hi, I'm Kira," she said, stepping forward. "Uh, why don't you just go on inside? We'll be with you guys shortly," she said. Jiao tilted her head.

"Us guys?" She asked. "Great, more new friends," she said, her tone holding a disdainful edge, as she walked past them into the house. Jiao walked into the house and wandered into the living room, seeing the two people on the couch. Hayden and Ryder looked up at the new arrival.

"Oh goody, you must be the person they were waiting for," Hayden said. "Maybe now we'll get some answers," he said.

"Whatever," she said with a shrug as she sat down in the arm chair. Hayden looked between the two people.

"Oooh wee, all this social interaction is so thrilling," Hayden muttered. The three sat there, looking around before Hayden sighed and got up to his feet. "That's it," he announced. Jiao and Ryder looked at him.

"What's it?" Ryder asked.

"I can't take sitting here anymore, I'm out of here," he said, going towards the front door.

"Larry, Curly and Moe are playing sentry out there," Jiao informed. Hayden sighed, remembering that they had gone outside.

"Great," he muttered. He turned around and started walking towards the living room.

"What are you doing?" Jiao asked.

"Trying to find another way out of here," Hayden said. He paused. "Maybe there's a cellar door through the basement," he figured out loud. Without another word he made his way in search of the basement door. Ryder got up to his feet.

"Wait," he said, going after him. Jiao made a face, totally lost as to what was going on. With a shrug, she got up and followed them. Hayden was able to find the basement door within seconds and quickly made it down the steps with Ryder and Jiao at his heels. "Ya know, wandering around an unknown house might not be very-" Jiao stopped as they reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the lab, her eyes glued to the large computers set up in the room. "Whoa," she whispered. She quickly made it over to the console, her eyes lighting up as she observed the set up. "This is…..amazing," she said, awed. Hayden gave her a weird look before turning to Ryder.

"Right, well, while she's busy having her tech-gasam, how about you help me find an exit?" He said, walking through the lab before Ryder could answer. Ryder cast a look over to him before joining Jiao-jie by the computers.

"What is all this?" He asked.

"Heaven," Jiao replied, running her fingers over the keyboards. Hayden rolled his eyes and continued to look around. His eyes were drawn to the table containing the files and gems. He picked up one of the files, opening it up. He froze as he saw a picture in it.

"Jiao-jie?" He spoke. Jiao looked up.

"What?" She asked. Hayden looked at her.

"That's your name, right?" He asked. Jiao and Ryder walked over to him.

"Yeah," she said, crossing her arms. "How'd you know my name?" She asked suspiciously.

"It's in here, along with your picture and…what the hell is Wushu?" He spoke. Jiao furrowed her brows and snatched the file from his hands, placing it on the table in front of her.

"It's a form of martial arts, jackass," she muttered as her eyes scanned the file. "This….this is about me…" she whispered, astonished. Hayden picked up another file and opened it up, his eyes widened as he barely contained a snicker. He looked up at Ryder.

"Your name…….is Ryder?" He asked.

"What's wrong with my name?" Ryder questioned. Hayden chuckled.

"Oh nothing, cowboy," he replied. Jiao looked up at him.

"Wow, calling a Native American person 'cowboy'……..could you be any more politically incorrect?" She reached past him and picked up the remaining file. "Hayden?" She questioned, reading off the name. "Isn't that a girl's name?" Hayden's smirk faded as he snatched his file from her.

"It's unisex," he muttered, opening his file as Ryder took his from his hands.

"Uh huh, sure." She replied, flipping through her folder. "What the hell is all this? I mean……how….why do they have this?"

"Kind of makes my cult theory not too impossible, huh?" Hayden thought out loud. Ryder looked up from his file, looking at the three gems in front of them.

"What are those things?"

"Paperweights, rocks from planet Xeno, who the hell cares, dude we've got three potential stalkers here and we're trapped in their house," Hayden snapped.

"Dude, quit calling me dude," Ryder said.

"Both of you shut up!" Jiao barked.

"Who shoved the rod up your ass?" Hayden sneered as he flung his folder onto the desk. Jiao's eyes narrowed.

"Why you little…" She began as she tried to lunge across the table at him. Ryder quickly dropped his file and held her back.

"Ok... Lets not have any bloodshed, how's that sound?" After a small amount of struggling, Ryder was able to keep her away from Hayden so he let her go. "Look, don't you guys think you're overreacting?" He asked. He couldn't believe Mr. Hawk's visions had led him into a potentially dangerous situation. Hayden and Jiao stared at him.

"Overreacting? These people have files on us, files!" Hayden stated.

"Maybe drama queen over there is going off the deep end but you've got to admit this is a little less than normal," Jiao stated.

"I'm the drama queen?" Hayden exclaimed incredulously. "Whatever, psycho,"

"I am not a psycho!" She shot back. Hayden rolled his eyes.

"Please, you make Charles Manson look sane!"

"Quiet!" Ryder yelled. Jiao glared at him.

"Excu-" She stopped as they all turned to the stairs as they heard footsteps.

"Oh god, what do we do?" Hayden whispered.

"Where are they?" They heard one of them say as the footsteps began to descend the stairs. The three looked at each other.

"Hide!" Hayden whispered.

"Hide? Where?" Jiao shot back. Hayden sighed realizing the lab didn't provide much in the form of hiding places. He looked at the gems on the table.

"Hit them with the Xeno rocks?" He asked.

"Oh right, that's intelligent!" Jiao growled. "And the word your looking for is _Xenu_, dumbass," she replied. Hayden rolled his eyes.

"Got a better idea?" He asked. Jiao opened her mouth but closed it, shaking her head. "Thought so," he picked up the blue gem as Jiao, figuring it was there only course of action, picked up the closest one—pink, while grabbing the pepper spray from her bag.

"Guys….I don't-" Ryder began.

"Uh, found them," they turned to see Trent walk in the lab with Conner and Kira behind him.

"What are you guys doing down here?" Kira asked cautiously.

"We've got a better question for you, who the hell are you people and why do you have these files on us?" Jiao demanded, holding the gem up like a weapon in one hand and the pepper spray ready to fire in the other.

"Look," Conner began. "We'll explain everything, just-" he stopped, his eyes being drawn to the gems in Hayden and Jiao's hands, which were currently glowing.

"Just what?" Hayden asked.

"What? What are you looki…." she paused as she looked at the gem. "AHH!" She screamed, dropping the gem on the floor. Hayden looked at his own gem and quickly dropped it as well.

"See, I told you! Xenu rocks!" Hayden exclaimed.

"And you're a blithering idiot!" Jiao screamed back. Trent, Kira and Conner all stood there, watching them. Kira groaned and rested her forehead against Conner's shoulder.

"I hate Ethan so much right now," she grumbled. Conner nodded. As Hayden and Jiao were freaking out and Conner, Kira and Trent were lamenting their plight, Ryder crouched down and picked up the two gems from the floor.

"Don't touch them," Hayden warned. "What if it's like some…….dimensional portal monster summoner or something?" Ryder fixed him with an odd stare as he held the two dull and non glowing gems in his hands.

"Wait, why aren't they lighting up anymore?" Jiao wondered aloud as she walked over to Ryder. She picked up the pink gem from Ryder's open palm and jumped a bit when it came to life in her hands. "What the hell?" Jiao whispered, rolling the gem in her hand. Ryder looked up at her. He slowly stood up and plucked the gem from her hand. Jiao looked at him questioningly.

"Try this one," he said, giving her the blue gem. Jiao took it in her hand and watched as nothing happened.

"Nothing," she said. She looked at Hayden. "It only reacts when you hold it," she said. Ryder went over to the table and picked up the black gem. It began to glow in his hand. He walked back over to Jiao and gave her the pink gem again as he took the blue one from her. He turned to Hayden and held it out to him.

"Looks like it belongs to you," he stated. Hayden blinked.

"I'm not touching the Xenu rock," he muttered.

"It's not a Xenu rock!" Trent, Kira and Conner snapped.

"Then what is it?" Ryder questioned. Trent, Kira and Conner looked at each other before slowly nodded.

"Come to the living room, it might be best if you're all sitting when you hear this," Kira said, speaking in a gentle tone.

"Uh, and maybe you could put away the spray," Conner said, pointing to the pepper spray that Jiao had lowered to her side. She looked down at it before looking back at Conner before giving a small smirk.

"But what if drama queen over there is right and you are some crazy cult or something? How ever will I protect myself?" She said. She furrowed her brows as she saw Ryder step closer to her.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," he said lowly. Jiao glared at him.

"Yeah, no thanks Tonto, I can take care of myself," she muttered. Ryder smirked.

"What was that you said about being politically correct?" He asked.

"When psychos are around me, political correctness goes out the window." She replied.

"You're always around yourself.. How's that working out for you." Hayden chirped in. Jiao shifted her glare to him before shoving the pepper spray in her pocket and grabbing the blue gem from Ryder.

"Don't make me throw your Xenu rock at your head," she threatened. Trent quickly intervened and grabbed the blue gem from her.

"No one is throwing the Xenu ro…..I mean dino gems!" he exclaimed. Jiao looked at him.

"Dino whatsits?" She asked. Trent sighed.

"Go upstairs." He all but groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"Who died and made you-" Hayden began.

"Now!" Trent yelled. Ryder, Hayden and Jiao jumped as they quickly scurried up the stairs. Conner and Kira looked at him.

"Whoa," Conner breathed. "That was impressive," he said.

"Yeah," Kira agreed. Trent smiled, giving a shrug.

"Just practicing for when Elise hits those terrible twos and I've got to be disciplinary dad," he kidded. Conner and Kira chuckled as they went up the stairs. They trailed behind Ryder, Hayden and Jiao as the three walked to the living room.

"Ow," Jiao exclaimed as her knee collided with the table in the hallway, she looked down and noticed she knocked over a picture frame. She went to set it up right when she froze. "Whoa," she breathed. The others looked at her.

"What is it?" Ryder asked. Jiao held up the frame. Conner, Trent and Kira saw it held the picture from the prom.

"I know that guy," she said, pointing to Tommy's face. "I mean…..I don't know him…….I saw him……..Mr. Hero……"

"What?" Kira asked. Jiao looked at her.

"Two weeks ago…when those things attacked in the center of town…..He was there……I was trying to help a little girl and her mother who were trapped in their car and he came over and got them out. You guys know him?" Kira, Conner and Trent all looked at each other. "Small world, huh?" Jiao muttered. She looked at the three of them. "Is he here?" She asked. Conner stepped forward and took the frame from her hands and placed it back on the table.

"No, he's not," he said lowly.

"Oh... When will he be back?" She questioned, wanting to see if he was okay.

"Just drop it, okay!" Conner snapped, glaring at her. Jiao stepped back, startled. Kira sighed and put a hand on Conner's shoulder in hopes to calm him.

"It's hard to explain..." Kira trailed off.

"He's dead," Conner shot out, annoyed. He shrugged his shoulder, shaking Kira's hand off.

"Conner," Kira began. He shook his head.

"Let's just get this over with, shall we?" He grumbled, walking past them to the living room. Trent sighed and looked at Kira.

"Looks like he was right about Tommy meeting her," he whispered to her. Kira sighed.

"Yeah, I'm sure he's thrilled about that," Kira said, running a finger through her hair.

"What ever gave you that idea?" Trent asked, completely innocent. Kira just rolled her eyes before heading towards the living room. Jiao looked at Trent.

"I didn't mean to pry…" She said remorsefully.

"It's fine," Trent sighed. "Just, go in the living room," he said. The three recruits walked into the living room and sat on the couch as Trent, Conner and Kira stood before them.

"I guess you'd like to know why you're here." Kira stated, receiving nods from the three recruits.

"That _would _be nice," Hayden replied. The three veteran rangers looked at each other as they tried to think how to start off. Conner took a deep breath and looked at the other three.

"You guys ever hear about the Power Rangers?" He asked. The three shared a look before shrugging.

"Sure, who hasn't?" Hayden replied.

"Yeah, the whole world's heard about the Power Rangers," Jiao commented.

"Well... We're them." Conner replied. The three sat back, staring at them as they took them in. After a few minutes, the silence was broken by Hayden and Jiao snorting and snickering.

"Yeah, good one dude," Hayden laughed. Conner rolled his eyes.

"Out of ALL the people that were picked, we got stuck with the three Stooges." He muttered.

"Picked?" Ryder asked. Unlike the other two he was taking this seriously.

"When this new threat started coming up, Ethan and I started looking into new power sources to form a line of defense against it. Unbeknownst to me, Ethan took it a step forward and started picking people for a new team," Conner explained. Jiao and Hayden's chuckles and smiles died at that moment.

"You're really serious, aren't you?" Hayden asked.

"Ethan……..as in Ethan James……..he was a Power Ranger?" Jiao asked. Conner nodded.

"Yes, Ethan was a power ranger about 10 years ago when we were still in high school."

"He devoted half of his biography to his childhood years yet _this_ didn't even get a sentence," Jiao mused.

"Why us?" Hayden asked.

"Good question," Conner muttered to himself. Kira shot Conner a glance.

"Obviously you three have some talents." She said.

"Okay, my talents are undisputable and maybe tall dark and quiet over here has some hidden talents," Hayden began, jutting his thumb to Ryder, "but what does Psycho Sally over here have to offer?" Jiao glared at him.

"Don't make me hurt you, jockstrap," she growled.

"See what I mean?" Hayden said.

"Clearly, she brings the anger and sarcasm." Ryder chipped in.

"True, I guess her voice is enough to make even the most vile creatures off themselves, so yay for us," Hayden smirked. Jiao tried to lunge at him but, once again, was successfully stopped by Ryder catching her and holding her back. Trent and Kira shot glances at Conner.

"Maybe a good dose of Riddlin would solve ALL our problems." Trent commented."

"Or tranquilizers." Kira replied.

"Maybe mallets would be more effective," Conner stated. Ryder stood up, picking up a struggling Jiao and holding her up, her feet barely touching the ground.

"Put me down," she snarled. Trent, Kira and Conner stood back, unsure whether to intervene or not.

"Not until you calm down," Ryder replied. Jiao huffed before finally ceasing her struggles.

"Fine," she grumbled. Ryder set her feet on the floor. Jiao crossed her arms and stared daggers at him as they sat down.

"All right then," Kira said, clearing her throat. "How about no one says anything to each other until we're all finished, hmm?" She asked.

"Good luck with that." Hayden snorted. Kira rolled her eyes.

"So, does all this have to do with the recent attacks going on in the city?" Ryder asked, trying to assist the others in getting back on point.

"Isn't that obvious?" Hayden retorted.

"Yes," Conner stated, answering Ryder's question. He sighed, taking a seat on the arm chair. "Those creatures in white that people have mentioned seeing during the attacks, they're led by a green ranger," Conner explained. "And they've…." he sighed again. "They've targeted former rangers."

"So, the explosion at the ice cream shop….it was all to get to Ethan?" Jiao figured out loud. Conner nodded.

"And me too, probably," he muttered to himself. "A few others have fallen as well," Conner continued.

"And the rest?" Ryder asked.

"They're in hiding," Trent replied.

"Where?" Hayden questioned.

"All across the universe." Kira replied. Ryder, Jiao and Hayden all stared at them with wide eyes.

"You're serious," Jiao breathed out. Conner couldn't help chuckle a bit.

"You've just been told you've been selected to be power rangers, and intergalactic travel is what's surprising you?" He asked.

"But how? There isn't life on other planets is there?" Hayden questioned.

"Well," Kira said, shrugging her shoulders a bit. "The jury's still out in terms of _this _solar system," she said. Jiao jumped to her feet.

"Okay, that's it. This is just getting too weird," she said. Trent looked at her.

"Aren't you the one who's gotten young writers awards for writing stories about this kind of stuff?" He questioned, harkening back to what they had read in the files. Once he, Kira and Conner had figured these were the new recruits to seek out, they read their files from cover to cover. Jiao looked at him, finding his knowledge of things she's done a bit eerie.

"Well, yeah," she said. "But that's different," she said. "That was science _fiction_, as in not real."

"So, now you know things like that are real," Conner reasoned. "So what?"

"There's a difference!" She tired to argue. Kira shook her head.

"Fine, I'll give you that writing and reading about things like this and actually hearing about it are two different things. But you obviously have an interest in it, so why so upset?" Kira asked. Jiao crossed her arms. Trent sighed.

"Let's just move on, please?" He said. He looked at Jiao. "Just sit, please." Jiao sighed and sat back down.

"Okay, so if this thing is targeting you people, why are you here? I mean, why not go into hiding like the others?" Hayden asked.

"We figure that getting rid of former rangers was just phase 1 of their plan," Conner stated.

"So that there'd be no one to stop them," Kira added on.

"From doing what?" Ryder asked. Conner shrugged.

"Oh what all evil beings want to do—world domination, general destruction and mayhem," he replied.

"And where do we come in?" Ryder questioned.

"You're going to help us stop them," Trent replied.

"By becoming rangers like you were?" Ryder asked.

"Well, it's not quite as past tense as that," Kira said. "We're still rangers."

"So, if you guys still have the ranger mojo, why do you need us?" Jiao asked. "I mean, it's not like without us there's no one,"

"You're right," Conner said. "There is us, but we need help. Your help," he said.

"Strength in numbers," Trent added on. The three sat back as they took all of this in.

"So, you're saying we'd be rangers…..going in and fighting these things?" Hayden asked.

"Yeah," Trent said.

"Pretty much," Kira said. There was silence in the room.

"Right, well," Jiao said as she stood up. "This all sounds really great and all that, but I think I'm going to have to pass," she said as she placed the pink gem in Trent's hand.

"What?" Trent asked, surprised.

"Look, I've got family in California. My cousins told me all about the rangers and the things they went up again through the years. And, well, gotta say, I'm really not itching to actually seeking out ass kickings, thank you very much."

"Are you going to actually stand there and tell us you don't care about what's happening?" Conner asked, astonished. He couldn't help but feel a little offended on behalf of Ethan. This girl was pretty much hand selected by his dear departed friend, and here she was pretty much saying 'no thanks'.

"Sure, it sucks that there's some big evil wanting to do……whatever the hell it wants to do, but that doesn't mean I have to put my neck on the line and get involved," she replied.

"What about those people in the car?" Kira asked. "You got involved then."

"That was different," Jiao countered.

"How so?" Kira questioned.

"Because I saw them……they were there…….I saw that little girl banging on the window, scared out of her mind. Contrary to popular belief, I do have a heart and I wasn't going to just walk away from that." Hayden cleared his throat as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Uh, yeah, I've got to agree with Psycho Sal…" he paused as Jiao threw him a cold glare. "I mean Jiao-jie," he said. He stepped forward and placed his gem in Kira's hand. "Going back into that crazy fray to find my sister is one thing…..but seeking out these evil things…..No way," he said.

"So that's it, you're just gonna leave?" Ryder questioned.

"Yeah," Hayden said.

"And by your self righteous tone, I'm guessing you're staying," Jiao said, crossing her arms. Ryder nodded, getting to his feet as well.

"People….the whole world…..it's in danger. We have the honor of being asked to help. You can't just turn your back on that," Ryder said.

"Oh please," Jiao sighed. She turned to look at Conner, Trent and Kira and shrugged slightly. "You guys can just find two more of him and give them this speech and viola, we're replaced," she said, jutting her thumb in Ryder's direction. "No big deal, right?"

"Not exactly," Kira said. "People don't choose to be rangers, the power chooses them."

"And since the gems reacted to each of you," Trent said. "Means you're the chosen ones."

"Okay, so suddenly we're like Highlander or some crap?" Hayden said, shaking his head. "Even if that's the case, there are four of you, you don't need us."

"Look, I'm really sorry," Jiao said. "But this isn't my thing," she adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "I've gotta go," she said as she walked to the door. Hayden looked up.

"Hey, can I get a ride?" He called after her. Jiao gave him an incredulous look. "Please?" He asked. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Fine, keep up," she said, she said turning back to the door. Hayden jogged after her. The remaining four stood there as they heard the front door open and close.

"So, now what?" Ryder asked. Kira sighed.

"This happens sometimes," she said, thinking back to when she first got her gem ten years ago and how she handed it over to Ethan and Conner. "They'll be back."

"You think so?" Ryder asked.

"We hope so," Conner said.

---

"That was all pretty weird, huh?" Hayden asked as Jiao drove down the road back to the center of town. "I mean-"

"Listen, Hayden," Jiao said, keeping her eyes on the road. "I agreed to give you a ride, that doesn't mean we have to carry on some sort of conversation like we're friends or something." Hayden raised his eyebrows.

"Okay then," he said, looking out to the road ahead of them. He patted his hands on his lap to fill the silence as he looked around. As the patting got louder, Jiao slowly looked over at him, making him stop. "Sorry," he said. Jiao rolled her eyes and looked back at the road. "Mind if I turn on the radio?" He asked. Jiao sighed.

"Sure, go ahead," she said. Hayden leaned forward for the knob.

"Ah!" He exclaimed as he saw what looked like blue electricity come out of his fingers the second he touched the radio.

"What?" Jiao asked, only to give a startled yell as well as the radio threw off sparks and gave an electric cackling sound. The car began to sputter and shake before coming to a stop completely. Jiao's eyes widened. "What the hell did you just do?" She accused.

"I…don't know…" he said.

"You killed……you killed Shirley," she said. "You killed my car!"

"I didn't mean to!" Hayden exclaimed. He blinked, looking at her. "Whoa... you named your car?!" Jiao rolled her eyes.

"The former owner did, he tearfully insisted I keep the name alive when he sold it to me," she said as she reached for her bag in the backseat.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Getting my cell phone and calling a tow truck," she said as she brought the bag to her lap and fished out her phone. Hayden sighed and looked out at the road as Jiao began dialing. Hayden's eyes widened at what he saw before them.

"Uh, Jiao-Jie, what color ranger did Conner say the evil guy was?" He asked. Jiao cast him a look.

"What? Why does that even matter?" She asked.

"Because, there's a green guy standing in the road, and I'm just wondering if this is a good thing or a bad thing," Hayden replied. Jiao quickly looked to see what he meant. Sure enough, there at the hood of her car, stood the green ranger.

"Shit," she muttered. She dropped her phone and turned the key in the ignition, all that resulted in was the car giving a low sputtering rumble. "Come on," she said lowly, turning the key again. "Come on, Shirley," she said, still nothing. "Start, you whore!"

"Okay, I really don't think calling it names will do anything! We've got to get out of here," he said, opening his door. Jiao gave up on trying to work the car and grabbed her bag, opening her door as well. "Come on!" Hayden said. The two turned to run only to see a row of the white creatures blocking their path. "Oh shit," Hayden muttered.

"Aw, don't be scared of my friends," came the green ranger's taunting voice. Hayden and Jiao turned to look at him. "The Hawthorns are pretty harmless……when I want them to be," he said in a tone that told them he was probably smirking behind his helmet.

"And this is one of those times, right?" Hayden said, giving a nervous chuckle. The green ranger simply laughed as he walked over to them.

"You're funny," he said.

"What do you want?" Jiao asked. The green ranger turned his head to look at her.

"I've learned you two have been offered the chance to be rangers," he said. Hayden eyes widened.

"Uh dude, we turned it down……..so……yeah…….no need to uh…….kill us or anything……." Hayden said. "You could just let us be on our merry way and that's that," Hayden said with a nod.

"He's right," Jiao said. "So, we'll just be on our…..merry way," she said. She grabbed Hayden's arm and pulled him along as she went to walk past the green ranger. The green ranger spun around, catching the back of Hayden's knee with a kick. Hayden gave a pained yelp as he fell to the ground, causing Jiao to turn around.

"I don't think so," The green ranger stated. The two stared at him and the creatures behind him as Hayden slowly climbed back up to his feet. "You refused to be a part of the disgrace called power rangers," he said, walking over to them. "And I admire that," he said.

"Uh…..thanks?" Hayden said, unsure how else to respond.

"So, you now have a choice," the green ranger continued. "Join us and help eliminate the four remaining rangers and carry out my masters wishes, or.." he said, letting his voice trail off.

"Or?" Jiao asked.

"Or die," he said simply as he slowly pulled out his sword.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Hayden said, putting his hands up defensively. "Uh…you just said you admired us," he said.

"I think this is one of those 'with us or against us' moments," Jiao said to Hayden. The green ranger chuckled.

"Right you are," he said. There was silence for a moment before the green ranger spoke. "And your decision would be?" Jiao and Hayden shared a look. Somehow, they just knew what their joint decision would be. They looked over at the green ranger.

"None of the above," Hayden stated, getting into a defensive stance.

"Excuse me?" The green ranger said. Jiao got in a stance as well.

"Yeah, we're going to choose the third option," she said.

"Third option?" The green ranger asked.

"The one where we kick your ass and get out of here," Hayden replied. The green ranger looked at them before chuckling.

"I'm going to enjoy watching you die," he said. "Hawthorns," he called out, pointing his sword to Jiao and Hayden. "Get them." The row of at least twenty creatures charged toward them.

"Oh shit," Jiao and Hayden muttered in unison as they realized they hadn't fully thought this through. The two turned and ran towards the woods by the road. The Hawthorns quickly caught up to them and were practically nipping at their heels.

"Keep going!" Hayden yelled.

"Gee, really?" Jiao replied. She screamed as one tried to grab her. She tumbled to the ground, the spikes on the creature's arms barely missing her as it slashed the strap of her bag. Hayden pulled her up to her feet as the two continued running. As they ran, Hayden turned his head to look behind them and was surprised to see only half of the Hawthorns were chasing them. The two came to a fast stop as they saw that half of the Hawthorns had somehow ended up ahead of them and now stood blocking their path. The two stood their ground, unsure what to do next as they were now surround by these creatures.

"Any ideas?" Hayden asked.

"Well," Jiao said, eyeing the creatures. "We've got two choices---stand here and be killed, or fight,"

"And be killed," Hayden said.

"Someone's a glass half-empty." She muttered.

"Just being realistic here, hun," he replied.

"Don't call me hun," she replied as she got into a fighting stance. Hayden looked at her.

"Okay, I guess we're fighting," he muttered as he too got into a stance. The Hawthorns went at them. The air was filled with grunts and cries as Hayden and Jiao fought them off to the best of their ability. Hayden threw kicks and punches at the creatures, relying on his athletic background as Jiao went at them with longer and more extravagant strikes, using her Wushu training.

"Yah!" Jiao yelled as she went to kick at one of the Hawthorns. The creature simply caught her foot in its hands. "Damn," she muttered. She grunted as she launched herself in the air, using her caught leg as balance as she used her other leg to kick the creature. She struck the creature and was successful in getting her leg released; unfortunately another Hawthorne was there to slash at her arm as she came down. "Ah!" She exclaimed, falling to her knees as she cradled her hurt arm to her side. Not too far from her, Hayden threw is harm out and struck one with a right hook, only to be kicked in the stomach by another.

"Oomph," Hayden grunted as he stumbled backwards, falling against a tree. He barely had time to recover before Jiao, who had stood up and tried to kick at the Hawthorne who cut her arm only to have her leg grabbed again, was thrown towards the tree, landing against him. The two stood against the tree, bruised and bloodied from the fighting, as they tried to catch their breath. "Now what?" Hayden asked. They watched as the Hawthorns came together and went at the trees. "Oh crap," Hayden said, putting his arms up as he awaited more blows and cuts. He was shock to see they never came. He slowly lowered his arms and looked up to see a shimmering pink orb around the tree, keeping the Hawthorns back. "Whoa, did I do that?" He muttered, looking back to what happened to the car radio.

"No….I think I did," Jiao said, in a trembling voice. Hayden looked at her. She was standing next to him, with her hands up, staring wide-eyed at the orb before them.

"H…How?" Hayden asked, astonished.

"I…..I don't know…" Jiao replied. "Just…..felt this pressure in my head, saw those things coming at us again and…..I just……did it…." Hayden watched as the Hawthorns tried to beat and pierce at the orb, but to no avail.

"Well, whatever you're doing…..keep doing it," he said.

"Sure, I'll be right on that." She replied. Hayden stood back, watching her. After a few minutes, Jiao squeezed her eyes shut; the orb began to falter slightly.

"What's going on?" Hayden asked. Jiao grunted as she tried to keep the orb around them.

"I can't…." She choked out, a small trickle of blood slowly coming from her nose. Suddenly, the orb fell away completely as Jiao crumbled to the ground.

"Jiao!" Hayden exclaimed, crouching down beside her. Jiao tried to push herself to sit up but found even that movement was too much for her. She weakly wiped at the blood from her nose with the back of her hand. "What happened?" Hayden asked.

"It was….too much," Jiao said, her voice weak and tired. Hayden looked up to see that the Hawthorns, seeing that the force field around them was gone, were now closing in on them. Suddenly, a red blur came at the creatures, attacking it. Hayden and Jiao watched as the creatures were somehow punched, kicked and otherwise dispatched of by the thing moving at the speed of light until all were left lying in a heap on the ground before disappearing completely.

"What the…" Hayden breathed out. The blur stopped, standing before them.

"You two okay?" Conner asked, looking down at them. "A little worse for wear, but mostly alright." Hayden replied, helping Jiao stand. She stumbled against him and nearly fell back down but Conner and Hayden both caught her and steadied her back on her feet.

"Oh man, I feel like a ton of bricks fell on my head," Jiao groaned.

"You'll be feeling much worse when I'm done with you," came the green ranger's voice. They all turned to look at them. Conner quickly got in front of Hayden and Jiao.

"Back off," he threatened. "They've got nothing to do with you or any of this, so leave them alone." The green ranger chuckled.

"Seeing that she," he said, pointing the tip of his sword towards Jiao, "just did what she did, something tells me they've already been corrupted by the ranger power," he said. "And for that, they must die like the others," he said. As he raised his sword up, a loud piercing scream filled the air, causing all parties to groan and cover their ears. Jiao, unsure what else to do, stuck a hand out and raised a force field around herself, Conner and Hayden as a form of defense. Outside the force field, the green ranger was brought down to his knees by the force of the sound.

"This isn't over, rangers," the green ranger spat out before disappearing much like the Hawthorns had. The force field quickly fell as Jiao fell backwards into Hayden's arms.

"Whoa," Hayden stumbled a bit as he caught her. He looked down to see Jiao was very much unconscious.

"She must've used the last bit of strength she had to put up that last field," Conner said.

"What was that noise?" Hayden questioned.

"Sorry," came a voice as Ryder, Kira and Trent came into their line of view. "It's been so long since I've done that, I forgot that a bit of warning is needed," Kira said, giving a sheepish smile.

"Is she okay?" Ryder asked, his eyes landing on Jiao as he approached the others.

"She'll be all right," Conner assured. "We better get back to the house," he said, addressing everyone. Trent and Kira nodded. Ryder bent down a bit as he took Jiao from Hayden's arms and scooping her up in his own.

"We should go before he comes back." Trent commented.

"Come back?" Hayden asked. "You mean, there's a chance we'll see that freak again?" Hayden asked.

"I kind of think 'this isn't over, rangers' didn't mean 'I'm leaving and I'll never bother you nice folks ever again'," Conner said.

"Oh." Was all that Hayden said.

"Come on," Kira said, giving Hayden a smile. The group made it out of the woods where two cars—Conner's and Ryder's---were parked by Jiao's. Wordlessly, Conner, Kira and Trent boarded Conner's car and waited as Hayden and Ryder got Jiao in the back of Ryder's car before boarding the car themselves. The two cars drove off in the direction of the house.


	12. The Lines of Communication

Jiao groaned as she opened her eyes to find herself in a bedroom. She was almost about to dismiss everything that happened as a dream except a. she wasn't in her bedroom, and b. the pain in her body suggested otherwise. She went to sit up, noticing the white bandage wrapped around the cut on her bicep.

"How are you feeling?" Asked a voice. She looked over to see Kira sitting beside her.

"Where am I?" Jiao asked, pulling some hair behind her ear and looking around.

"Back at the house," Kira informed. Jiao looked at her, suddenly filled with worry.

"Where are the others?" She asked, almost panicky as she went to get up from the bed. "Hayden and Conner, did they-"

"Whoa, whoa," Kira said, placing her hands on Jiao's shoulders to keep her in bed. "Everyone's fine," she assured her. Jiao sighed, feeling better. Kira smiled. "Better watch out, you seem to be going against the uncaring and distant front you put up," she said. Jiao narrowed her eyes at the woman.

"I was just making sure that they were okay. Other then that, I could care less." She replied. Kira smirked.

"Uh huh," she said. "But if you don't care, then why does it matter if they're okay or not?" She asked. Jiao blinked.

"It doesn't," she muttered quickly. Kira chuckled slightly before deciding to not push the issue.

"How's your head?" She asked. Jiao sighed, rubbing at her temple a bit.

"It feels like I was at a drinking binge and have the hangover to prove it," she said. Kira nodded and handed her a bottle of Tylenol.

"There's water over here," she said, pointing to the nightstand. Jiao shook two pills out into her hand and popped them into her mouth before taking a gulp of water.

"Thanks." She replied. She looked around, noticing that the sky was beginning to show the early signs of dusk outside the window.

"How long was I out for?" Jiao asked.

"A few hours," Kira replied. Jiao looked at her.

"I should go," she said. "My bosses must be wondering where I ran off too," she said.

"Don't worry, Conner called the store and told them you weren't feeling well and wouldn't be back for the day," Kira told her. Jiao nodded. She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and saw her bag was sitting on the floor by the bed. "Trent picked it up when we were leaving the woods," Kira explained.

"Well, don't you people think of everything," Jiao muttered. "Next you're going to tell me someone got my car?" Kira simply smiled. "Of course," Jiao said, rolling her eyes.

"Ryder was able to get it started up again and Conner drove it back here," Kira stated.

"Cool," Jiao said, getting up to her feet. "Guess I'll be going then." Kira stood up.

"Are you sure?" She asked. Jiao turned to look at her.

"Uh yeah," she said. She went to put her bag on her shoulders, only to remember the strap was cut. She sighed and held it under her arm. She left the room and walked down the stairs with Kira following her. Jiao strode through the living room and walked out the house. She saw her car parked at the end of the driveway. She sighed and began making her way towards it. She yelped as a batch of grass in front of her erupted in a small type of explosion, causing her to drop her bag as dirt and grass rained on her.

"Oh man, sorry," she heard Ryder said as he jogged over to him. She looked at him and quickly brushed the dirt and grass from her shirt. "Still trying to get a hang of my power," he said.

"And what's that? Playing juvenile pranks on unsuspecting people?" She said lowly, practically snarling.

"Uh no," Ryder said. "Apparently I can control the elements….pretty cool, huh?"

"_Control_ seems to be a pretty loose term," she muttered.

"I'm only just figuring out what to do." He replied. "I've been trying to focus on one element at a time," he said.

"And you're now doing Earth, how fortunate for me," she said, picking a blade of grass from her hair. Ryder turned away from her and faced the trees on the edge of the property. He focused, his eyes drifting shut as the wind around them picked up, the sound of it flowing through the leaves filled the air. After a few minutes, the sound died down as the wind settled. He opened his eyes and turned back to Jiao.

"I'm getting better." He replied.

"Right." Jiao countered, rolling her eyes. She shrugged. "Fine, I guess that comes in handy on a really hot day," she said. Ryder smiled.

"Is that a compliment?" He asked. Jiao narrowed her eyes.

"No," she replied. "Just saying….I guess that has a purpose," she said. Ryder simply smiled.

"Thanks," he said. "Your power isn't exactly useless either," he stated. "Who knows what could've happened to you and Hayden if you hadn't-"

"Given myself a major headache?" She supplied. Ryder just shot her a look.

"You two would have been killed." He replied. Jiao sighed and picked her bag off the ground.

"Yeah," she said softly. "Even more reason why I wish you all the best of luck and am getting my butt out of here. Where's Hayden? I guess I should give him a ride, even if he killed my car in the first place."

"He's staying," Ryder informed. Jiao looked at him. "He's inside with Conner and Trent, working on his power."

"I see," Jiao replied. Ryder nodded.

"Maybe you should stay too." He replied softly. Jiao looked at him.

"I don't think so," she said. "Staying here would imply I'm signing up for all this craziness….and yeah, running into little boy green and his friends kind of make me not so inclined to do that. So, see ya," she said, walking past him. Ryder turned and grabbed her arm, making her stop. Jiao spun around, ready to make him seriously reconsider doing that, but something about the way he was looking at her made her stop, her mouth closing from being open and ready to give him a severe tongue lashing.

"We're all scared," he said. Jiao looked away.

"I didn't say I'm scared," she said.

"You didn't have to," Ryder replied. "Why else would you be running away?" Jiao rolled her eyes and tried to pull her arm away, but Ryder didn't let go.

"Fine, I'm scared," she said, looking down. She felt Ryder release her arm. She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling vulnerable.

"If you stay, at least we're all together... God only knows what will happen to you if that green ranger comes back." Ryder replied. Jiao blinked and looked up at him.

"I don't do 'togetherness'," she replied. Ryder smiled and took a step closer to her. Jiao watched his movements as he lifted his arm, his hand going to her shoulder. She swallowed thickly, unsure what he was doing but riveted to her spot none the less. She felt his hand simply pluck something from her shoulder. Jiao blinked and looked down.

"Piece of grass," he said, tossing it aside.

"Oh," Jiao replied, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"Besides," He commented, backing off somewhat. "You don't have to do 'togetherness' just work with us to try and defeat this guy." Jiao looked at him, taking in his words.

"Jiao!" She looked past Ryder's shoulder to see Hayden excitedly jogging down the porch steps and coming over to them. "Hey, glad to see you're okay," he said, giving her a smile. Jiao blinked.

"Uh, yeah," she said. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" She commented, a little put off by his friendly attitude. Hayden laughed, shrugging a bit.

"Hey, we fought side by side, figure we're at least on friendly terms now, right?" He asked. Jiao quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry, I don't know if I'm on friendly terms with people who call me Psycho Sally," she replied. Hayden's smile faded.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he said, giving a sheepish smile. "Anyway," he said, changing subjects as he raised his arm up to show off a silver cuff on his wrist. There, on the front, they saw the blue gem imbedded. "Check it out, pretty cool, huh?"

"Didn't figure you for a jewelry wearing type," Jiao replied. Hayden rolled his eyes.

"It's the Xenu rock," he said. "Conner and Trent gave it to me, there's one for each of us," he said.

"Oh wow, my own personal Xenu rock... Just what I've always wanted." Jiao rolled her eyes. "Besides, according to Trent, they're dino gems," she said.

"Well I like Xenu rock better," Hayden said, shrugging.

"Well, I guess I'll go get my……Xenu rock," Ryder said with a smirk, turning and going to the house. He looked at Jiao. "You coming?" He asked. Jiao blinked and looked at both of them.

"Of course she's coming," Hayden replied. He looked at Jiao. "Aren't you?" He asked. Jiao sighed. Jiao opened her mouth to say no when she suddenly felt Hayden snatch her bag out of her arm. "Well, now you are," he exclaimed with a laugh, running back to the house.

"What the….Hey!" Jiao said, running after him. Ryder smirked as they passed him. He walked in to find the two of them in the living room. Hayden was holding the bag over his head and Jiao was trying to get at it.

"Ryder, think fast!" Hayden called, tossing the bag at him. Ryder caught the bag as Jiao turned to him.

"Hand it over, Nature Boy," she said, walking over. Ryder smiled.

"Well, I was going to give it to you, but now I don't think so," he said, tossing it to Hayden. Jiao glared at him as she went to get it from Hayden. Hayden went to throw it to Ryder when a pink force field came up around him, causing the just tossed bag to hit the force field and bounce back, hitting Hayden in the side of the head.

"Ow!" He exclaimed. Jiao closed her hand, letting the force field come down as she walked over and picked her bag off the floor. She turned to go to the door, only to see Conner, Trent and Kira were now also standing in the living room.

"That was impressive," Conner said. Jiao bit her lip and simply shrugged.

"I didn't want him to throw my bag again, it just happened," Jiao said. Kira smiled.

"It's becoming natural," she said. "Happened to us when we first got our powers ten years ago, looks like it's starting to happen to you guys as well."

"How's your head?" Trent asked. Jiao blinked as she realized she felt fine, not weak or tired like she had before.

"Fine," she said. She understood what they were getting at and simply shrugged. "But so what? I didn't have it up as long as I did before," she said. "Plus," she added, "I guess it wasn't as important this time….less stress," she said with another shrug.

"You know," Kira said, walking over. "With some practice, you could have the amount of control you just had, no matter the stress level or the duration."

"I don't intend on using this again, don't need to practice," Jiao replied.

"Okay," Conner said, changing tactics. "But you heard what the green ranger said; our enemies are your enemies too now, no matter how much you don't want to be involved." Jiao sighed, suddenly regretting ever picking up the pink gem.

"Come on," Hayden said, rubbing his forehead where the bag had hit him. "I mean, we're on the bad guys' hit list as it is, we might as well indulge in some altruism while we're there," he said. Jiao looked at him before looking at Ryder, Conner, Trent and Kira. Everyone seemed to be looking at her, waiting for her answer.

"Well?" Kira asked. Jiao sighed.

"I guess….you all have a point…" She said reluctantly, garnering smiles from everyone else. "I'm not exactly ranger material though," she lightly protested. "Don't do well in teams," she said. Kira grinned.

"Oh that's not a big deal," she said. She pointed at Conner. "When we first started being rangers, he was an egotistical jerk," she said. Conner threw her a playful glare.

"And she was a sarcastic smartass….I guess some things never change, though," he said. Kira's grin only widened. Trent rolled his eyes at the two.

"Anyway," he said, looking at Jiao. "The gem reacting to your touch kind of disproves your 'not ranger material' theory," he said.

"Really?" She countered. "How?"

"It's like what they said earlier," Ryder stepped in. "People don't choose to be power rangers, the power chooses them," he said, answering for them.

"Exactly," Trent said. "And Ethan believed in your ability to be a ranger," he said. Jiao's eyes widened slightly.

"What?" She said.

"Well, that's why he chose you." Conner stepped in. He looked at Ryder, Hayden and Jiao. "He picked each of you, that's why we had the files," he explained. "That's how we knew how to find you."

"And you," Kira said, looking at Jiao. "As far as we know, were the only one to garner a personal face to face with him," she said. Jiao looked away, her cheeks burning in a slight blush, feeling a little honored that Ethan, her idol, had had such faith in her, even if it wasn't in an area she had originally thought.

"But what about the rest of us?" Hayden asked. Conner paused, unsure how to answer Hayden. Jiao and Ryder were chosen in their respective skills in computers and mechanics. Hayden was picked purely out of Ethan's nostalgia for Conner's former self. It was just a lucky twist of fate that the gem reacted to him.

"Well, as we stated, Jiao's computer knowledge….and Ryder's know how in mechanics……made them valuable assets to the team," Kira said.

"What about me?" Hayden asked, tilting his head. Trent shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "The gems reacted to you three, you're meant to be rangers," he said.

"Great, so basically I got picked because I'm good at sports?" Hayden questioned.

"He picked you because you reminded him of someone," Conner said softly. Hayden looked at him.

"Who? Another former ranger?"

"You could say that," Conner muttered.

"Because that makes it so much better." Hayden replied under his breath.

"Just drop it, jockstrap," Jiao spoke up. She and Ryder could see that the line that the direction the conversation was going in was making Conner uncomfortable. "You were picked, don't dwell on why," she said.

"Fine." Hayden huffed. Kira placed a hand on Conner's shoulder and sent Jiao a grateful look.

"Wait, I'm confused," Ryder spoke. "The way you're talking about this, it sounds like Ethan told you all this…Does that mean you knew about us before he died?" He asked.

"Not exactly," Trent said.

"Then how?" Jiao asked. Kira looked at Trent and Conner before speaking.

"He made a video diary of sorts..." She trailed off.

"Can we see it?" Hayden asked, only to be met with Jiao's elbow lightly hitting his side.

"Sensitive much?" She hissed. Hayden looked at her.

"Since when are you the sensitivity police?" He asked.

"I'm being sensitive to the fact that Ethan was their friend." She hissed back. "Just let it go, we're picked. Five seconds ago you were all for being a ranger and getting on my case for wanting to bail. Now you're bitching."

"I am not bitching," Hayden quickly said, offended.

"Shut up." Conner snapped, causing everyone to look at him. Conner's eyes narrowed at Hayden. "You really want to know why Ethan picked you? Because you reminded him of me…..how I used to be before all of this," he said. Kira gave his shoulder a small squeeze.

"Conner," she spoke, hoping to calm him down. Conner ignored her.

"I used to be into sports, playful, just like you, but I guess six years of dealing with all this sort of killed who I used to be," he said. He gave a small puff of breath, chuckling softly. "Though, now that I know you, gotta say I can't really see the likeness," he said. He looked at Kira. "Please tell me I wasn't this whiney," he said.

"Hey!" Hayden exclaimed, causing the others to all laugh. "I'm not whiney," he said, his voice holding a slight whine. He cleared his throat. "I mean," he amended, his voice normal. "I'm not whiney," which only made the others laugh even harder.

"Saying you're not whiney is like saying she's not psychotic," Conner chuckled, gesturing his head in Jiao's direction. Jiao stopped laughing and glared at Conner.

"You know, I haven't fully agreed to being on this lil team of yours, so if I were you I'd be nice to little ole me." Conner just shrugged his shoulders.

"Now what?" Ryder questioned.

"Our next step is to try and secure everyone's houses so that we can prevent this green bastard from trying to get in and kill you in your sleep." Conner said.

"How are you going to do that?" Ryder asked.

"We can link your houses to our security system," Conner explained. "Right now, the computers here have a built in security system for the perimeter of the house. We can sort of expand it, have it cover your houses as well."

"Wouldn't that weaken the system though?" Jiao questioned. Trent looked at her.

"Perhaps we'd be able to call upon your computer skills to help us out." He said. Jiao tilted her head to the side.

"I think that maybe be a bit advanced for even me," she said. "I'm assuming Ethan set the system up," she said. Conner nodded. "Ethan was a genius. Me….I'm just a novice at best," she said.

"But you can try." Kira stepped in. "Just because you believe that you're mediocre, doesn't mean that the rest of us do."

"Besides, _I'm_ a novice, not you," Conner said, giving her an encouraging smile. Jiao shrugged her shoulders.

"I can try." She replied finally. Kira smiled before pulling something out of her pocket.

"You'll be needing this then." She commented, handing Jiao a silver gauntlet. Jiao regarded the cuff. It looked much like Hayden's except it had the pink gem in it.

"I didn't say I-" Before she could finish, Hayden rolled his eyes and took the gauntlet from her hands and grabbed her wrist. He slapped the cuff on her wrist.

"Quit fishing," he said. Jiao was silent for a minute.

"Fine." She huffed. Trent presented the final gauntlet, holding the black gem, to Ryder, who slipped it on his wrist.

"Is it only us three then?" Hayden questioned.

"Well, us too, duh," Kira said as she, Conner and Trent showed their wrists. They each wore gauntlets similar to theirs that held the yellow, red and white gems.

"Well then." Was all that Ryder could respond with. Jiao sighed.

"All right, let's get to this business with the computers, shall we?" She said, walking past them towards the basement.

"Little pushy, ain't she?" Hayden muttered as the others followed her.

"I'd say." Ryder replied, though his tone was a bit more enraptured than Hayden's had been, as they headed downstairs.

---

Jiao quickly made herself at home in front of the computers, accommodating her self with the system Ethan had constructed as the others were mere spectators.

"Novice my butt," Trent muttered, impressed as he watched her get further in to the program in mere minutes than he and the others were able to do in days.

"Okay," Jiao announced after a while. "I'm in. I just need to enter our addresses into the system. I don't want to mess with the system too much, less we compromise it's effectiveness, so pretty much if any baddies show up at our places, an alarm will go off here," she said.

"So, for example, if those dudes in white showed up at my house, what…these three will be notified?" Hayden asked, pointing to Conner, Kira and Trent. Jiao bit her lip.

"I could try to tweak with it a bit, maybe set up a communications device," she mused gently as she removed her glasses and gently bit on one of the ear tips. "So that all of us could be notified if something happened," she stared at the computer screen.

"Before the…..explosion, Ethan and I were starting to work on teleportation," Conner said. Jiao turned to look at him. "Maybe there's a way to implement both in the morphers?" Jiao nodded.

"Maybe," she said. "But it'd take a while," she said. "For now we should just stick with putting the addresses in the system and you guys getting the alarm," she suggested.

"Seems like the easiest option." Trent replied. Kira nodded.

"I agree. There'll be more time for the more complicated things later." Jiao nodded as she slipped her glasses back on and turned back to the computer screen.

"All right; Hayden, Ryder, need your home addresses and the addresses for anywhere you might work," she said. She looked back at the others. "Figured if those freaks can get in our homes, what's to stop them from getting us while we're working, right?"

"Good thinking," Conner said. Jiao smiled and turned back to the screen, her fingers typing away as Hayden gave her his home address and Ryder gave her his home address and the address to the garage. She tapped away at a few more buttons before hitting enter.

"Done." She swiveled the chair, facing the others, "We're now all in the system," she said.

"Great," Trent said. Jiao went to get up before Kira stepped up.

"Wait," she said. Jiao looked at her. "Would you mind working some more of your computer magic?" She asked.

"What'd you have in mind?" Jiao asked.

"Yeah, what's this about?" Conner asked, confused. Kira turned to look at Conner and Trent.

"Kim," she said.

"What?" Trent asked.

"We've got to get in contact with her, tell her…" She said.

"Whoever this Kim person you just call her?" Hayden asked. Kira looked at him.

"Let's just say it'd be a very long distance phone call," she said. Jiao looked somewhat doubtful.

"How far is this long distance?" She asked. Kira turned to her.

"Another planet," she said. Jiao's eyes grew wide.

"What?" She sputtered. Kira sighed and went over to her.

"It's for Tommy," she said. "Mr. Hero…….his wife and daughters, as well as his friends, are up there…..they need to know what happened," she said. Jiao slowly nodded.

"I understand, but….I don't know if I can do that. I could probably be able to hack into NASADA's communications but…..even still, I'd have no way of knowing if I'm even reaching the right place……..for all I'd know, I'd be reaching some annoyed Martians or something."

"Could you try?" Kira pleaded. "Please, they need to know," she said. Jiao sighed and nodded.

"Okay, I can't make any promises though," she said, turning back to the computer. There was silence for a few minutes while Jiao worked. Finally, after waiting she smiled.

"I've got a connection, albeit not very stable, but it's a connection." She commented. Kira sighed before looking at the group.

"Could I get you guys to leave for a few minutes?" She questioned. Everyone stared at her for a moment.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Jiao spoke up, standing up. "Just uh…." she sighed, unsure how to word things. "Don't dawdle," she said. "I mean…the connection could drop at any moment," she said. Kira nodded. She walked to the stairway towards the upper level of the house, Ryder following her. Hayden seemed to just stay there until two sets of arms came from the stairway. Ryder's arms grabbed him by the shoulder while Jiao got hold of his ear.

"Ai!" Hayden yelped as the two dragged him out. Conner and Trent looked at Kira.

"You want us to leave too?" Conner asked. Kira nodded. Both Conner and Trent gave an understanding nod. Of the three, Kira was the closest to the Oliver family. Sure, Trent had been in contact with them and seen them during the holidays he'd come to Reefside to spend with his parents, but Kira had been a consistent presence in their lives lately, having weekly dinners with the family and watching the girls whenever Tommy and Kimberly wanted a to themselves and Hayley wasn't available.

"Call us if you need us," Conner said before leaving. Trent looked at Kira.

"Kira," he said softly. "I know this isn't the time, but-"

"I'll make sure Kendra knows you're okay and that you miss her everyday," she said, smiling softly. Trent smiled and went to follow Conner. Kira sighed once she found herself alone in the room. She turned to the computer, facing the large screen in the middle that seemed to be covered in static. "Okay, how the hell do I know if I'm reaching them?" She pondered.

"Hello?" Came a voice from the computer screen, she could see a figure through the static as it began to clear a bit. The static cleared some more and she could clearly see a man about Tommy and Kimberly's age with blonde hair and blue eyes. Though aged a little from the image she'd seen of him in Tommy's video diary and the many pictures from high school littering the Oliver household, she knew right away who it was.

"Billy, Billy Cranston?" She called out. Billy regarded her with a careful look.

"Yes," he said slowly. "Who _is _this and how did you reach this channel?"

"Well, as to how I reached you….don't quite know that," she said with a chuckle. "I'm Kira, Kira Fo-" She saw Billy put up a hand, telling her he knew exactly who she was.

"I know who you are... Kim and the girls talk about you constantly." He smiled. Kira did her best to return the gesture, but it was hard to do so with the news she had to bring.

"Is everyone all right up there?" She asked. Billy nodded.

"Everyone's fine. There was a bit of an adjustment period for everyone, especially for Kendra, Angela and the children, but everyone is fairing well." He paused. "But you didn't contact me to get an update on how everyone is," he said. Kira sighed. In all the stories she had heard about Billy from Tommy and Kimberly, she knew he was incredibly smart and possessed great insight.

"No," she said softly. "I need……I need to speak with Kimberly," she said. Billy's face fell, he knew. He could tell. Kira wanted to speak with Kimberly…..and Tommy was not standing there beside her. It all led to one conclusion.

"What happened?" Billy asked. Kira sighed.

"Please," she begged. "I don't want to repeat myself, please get Kimberly," she said. Billy nodded and left the screen for a few minutes. As she waited, Kira fished out the wedding ring she had in her pocket. Ever since his death, she'd kept the ring on her at all times. She was afraid to put it down, fearing she'd lose it. This was Tommy's ring. She couldn't lose it. A few moments later Kim's familiar face came onto the screen.

"Kira?" She asked tentatively. Kira closed her eyes as a lump formed in her throat, threatening to keep her from speaking. "Kira," Kimberly asked, her voice taking a desperate age. "Where…..where are the others? Where's Tommy?"

"Kim, I…….Dr. Oliver……..Tommy, he's-" Kira swallowed thickly as tears came down her cheeks. She opened her eyes to see Kimberly staring at her. Her jaw was tight and her eyes were glistening.

"How did it happen?" She asked in such an even tone, it made Kira shiver. Kimberly had been preparing herself for this. She'd hoped it wouldn't come, but with the dangerous climate back on Earth, she knew something could happen. Kira took a breath trying to steady her voice.

"There was an explosion." She began. "We were up against the green ranger….and…….he caused an explosion. All four of us were trapped underground…." Kira's chin quivered as she tried to keep from sobbing as her mind replayed the events. "Conner, Trent and I found him…….he was pinned…….under a pillar……he told us to go before the green ranger attacked again and….." A small sob broke free as she looked down, ashamed. "Kimberly, I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "We wanted to save him…..but……..there was nothing we could do…….the pillar was too heavy and…….it was crushing his chest……" Kira broke off as she felt her knees start to give way. She crashed into the console, balancing herself. Her hand reached for the chair Jiao had been using and brought it to her, knowing she could hold herself up on the console but for so long. She sat down, wiping her cheeks as she looked up at Kimberly. She had her eyes shut tightly, as if processing all this information.

"Did he say……anything?" Kimberly asked softly. Kira nodded.

"He told me to give this to you the next time I see you," Kira said, holding up the ring. "And…..to tell you that he'll never stop loving you," She heard Kimberly let out a choked sob at that as her own knees trembled and she nearly fell.

"Kim!" Kira heard a voice say as another figure came on screen, grabbing Kimberly and holding her up. Kira recognized him as Jason. She blinked as the image filled with others—Katherine, Rocky, Aisha, Zack, and Billy, all surrounding Kimberly. They had obviously all come to the screen with her but given her space until now. Kimberly wrapped her arms around Jason's neck, burying her head in his shoulder as she let lose wailing sob after wailing sob.

"Thank you….for reaching us," Katherine spoke as she came up behind Kimberly and placed a hand on her shoulder. Katherine, as well as all the others, had tears rolling down their cheeks at the loss of one of their dearest friends. The only reply that Kira gave was a nod, too overcome with emotion.

"Do you…..need to speak with Kendra?" Billy asked after a few minutes, obviously wondering if this day brought news of, not one, but two widows. Kira shook her head.

"Trent is fine," she said. "He's okay….and misses his wife and child everyday," and the mention of children, Kimberly's sobs increased, obviously thinking of having to tell her daughters of this news. Billy closed his eyes before giving Kira a curt nod.

"I'll be sure she gets that message," he said in a soft, even tone. Kira nodded.

"Thank you." She replied softly.

Kira watched as the communication slowly began to shudder in and out.

"I'm loosing the connection." She spoke, looking at Billy. The group looked at her.

"Good luck." Came the static reply before the communication ended. Kira put her elbows up on the console and buried her face in her hands as the sobs bubbling inside her came out. She sat there for a few minutes before she felt a hand gently rubbing her shoulder. She slowly looked up to see Conner beside her. He kneeled beside her and took her in his arms, letting her cry into his shoulder.

"Just let it out," Conner whispered, rubbing her back. Kira did so, crying for good long while before pulling out of his arms and wiping her cheeks as she looked at him.

"How'd you know to come in now?" Kira asked. Conner moved a hand up and wiped a stray tear away with his thumb.

"Trent and I listened in outside the door," he said, looking at her apologetically. "You're not mad, are you?" Kira bit her lip as she thought about this before shaking her head.

"I'm not mad." She replied. She looked around for a second. "Where is Trent anyway?" She asked.

"He went off to help the kids practice their powers," he said. Kira chuckled softly. It was strange to see Hayden, Ryder and Jiao as kids given that they weren't that much younger than themselves, but Conner, Kira and Trent couldn't' help it. "Are you okay?" Conner asked, tearing her from her thoughts. Kira nodded. She sighed and looked down.

"I hated that," she admitted. "Telling Kimberly……I mean…god, she and Tommy….you should've seen them together after they…….I guess…….reunited…..It was like Romeo and Juliet got a second chance or something…..they were so happy and in love. Having to tell Kimberly that………it was over……….god," she muttered, her shoulders slumping. Conner took her by the shoulders and pulled her into his arms again and let her rest her head on his shoulder, her lips close to his neck. "And I just thought………about…….what if it was you?" She said softly. "What if I had to hear about something happening to you like that?" Conner sighed and pulled away from her, making her look at him.

"Kira, nothing's going to happen," he told her firmly. "Everything's going to be okay." Kira sighed.

"I know..." She trailed off. Conner gently stroked her cheek as he gave her a small smile.

"Hey," he said. "The fates wouldn't take this long to get us together just to tear us apart just as quickly, right?" He said. Kira couldn't help chuckle a bit at that.

"No, I guess they wouldn't," she replied softly. Conner's smile widened and he kissed her gently. They kissed for a few moments before Kira pulled away.

"We should really help Trent with the new kids." She commented. Conner frowned.

"Do we hafta?" He playfully whined. Kira opened her mouth to reply before giving a surprised yelp as Conner tightened his hold around her and pulled her off the chair and onto his lap as he sat back on the floor. "I was thinking we could just…….stay here," he said, stroking a small circle on her back. Kira looked at him. She was about to give him a smart reply about wanting to be 'together' in the lab but realized that wasn't what was on his mind. He just wanted to be with her. Kira closed her eyes and leaned on his shoulder as the thought that maybe Conner shared her fears occurred to her.

"I love you, Conner," she said. She felt him kiss the top her head.

"I love you too," he replied.

---

Outside on the back lawn, Trent stood back as he watched the three new rangers work on their powers. Hayden sat at one end of the yard with electronic devices before him which included the clock radio from Trent's room, the toaster from the kitchen and Jiao-jie's (reluctantly given) Ipod. Hayden waved his hand over the pieces. Each electronic device was enveloped in blue static before turning on, regardless of its unplugged or shut off state. At another part of the yard, Ryder sat with a large bowl of water, trying to make it come to life as Jiao worked on creating a force field around a rock, though her eyes kept going to Hayden.

"Concentrate," Ryder said, after catching her distracted state. Jiao looked over at him.

"Sorry, but seeing what he did to my car, I'm kind of regretting giving him my ipod," she replied, rolling her eyes before looking back at Hayden. She gave a small shriek as she felt the cold water hit her at the back, the shock knocking her over. She quickly scrambled back to her sitting position as she looked at Ryder, who was looking at her with a small smirk.

"Now, if you'd been working on your power instead of being concerned about Hayden, you might've been able to put up a force field before the water hit you," he said. Jiao's eyes widened.

"You jerk!" Jiao yelled, getting to her feet. Trent's eyes widened as he saw Jiao headed towards Ryder, a somewhat murderous look in her eyes. He quickly went over as Ryder stood up to be at the same level as the angry girl. Trent was able to squeeze between them and keep Jiao back.

"Jiao-jie, why don't you go work over by Hayden?" He suggested, figuring it'd be best to keep the two apart. "Put a force field around your ipod or something," he said. Jiao gave one last glare at Ryder before turning and taking his suggestion as she made it towards Hayden, who had been watching the exchange and was snickering gently. Jiao simply smacked him upside the head on her way to sitting not to far from him. Trent sighed and looked at Ryder. "So, I guess when Mr. Hawk said to watch the fox closely, you took that to mean antagonize her?" Trent asked. Ryder blinked.

"What?" He asked. Trent rolled his eyes.

"Remember what Mr. Hawk said?" Ryder nodded.

"Yeah…..but what makes you think she's the fox?" Ryder asked. Trent furrowed his brow.

"Isn't it obvious?" Trent asked, confused over why Ryder hadn't made the connections of which animal represented Hayden and Jiao. Trent looked at the confused look on Ryder's face. "Or not." Ryder shrugged.

"I guess I hadn't really thought about it," Ryder said. "Been a bit distracted with becoming a power ranger and getting elemental powers," he said. Trent nodded, understanding.

"Well, Jiao's the fox, in case you missed that part." Trent replied. "Solitary, kind of lost," Trent said. Ryder sighed, realizing it really was obvious. "I don't know why the fox stood out in Mr. Hawk's visions, but maybe getting her pissed isn't the best course of action. Regardless of the visions, having this sort of thing within the team sort of makes working together hard," he said. Ryder nodded as he looked past Trent's shoulder to Jiao, who had taken her ipod from Hayden and was now using it to practice her power. Ryder smiled a bit.

"It's kind of fun to tick her off though," he said. Trent blinked and regarded Ryder carefully. Something about that gave him a sense of deja-vu……….like when Conner and Kira would tease each other back when they were in high school. It finally hit Trent like a ton of bricks what the significance of the fox, Jiao, would have to the warrior, Ryder. He groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Just keep practicing," he said, walking away.


	13. A Long Day's End

"So, what was that all about

"So, what was that all about?" Hayden asked, rubbing his head as Jiao sat down and grabbed her ipod from the small pile of electronics in front of him. "You and Ryder not getting along?" He asked with a smirk. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Shut it, jockstrap," she muttered.

"Hey, I do have a name you know," Hayden replied.

"Yes you do, Jockstrap," she said with mock sweetness. Hayden chuckled and shook his head.

"Okay, I guess I walked into that one," he said.

"Yup, you did," she replied. She looked over to see Trent walk away from Ryder. "He's such a jerk," she said.

"Who? Trent?" Hayden asked.

"No, Ryder," Jiao replied. Hayden shrugged. Jiao sighed. "Whatever," she said, taking a deep breath and concentrating on the ipod in front of her. Hayden turned back to his remaining electronics and worked on them. Jiao closed her eyes as she held her hands over the ipod, visualizing a dome around it as she concentrated. In her concentration, she blocked out all sound around her and focused on the dome in her mind's eye, letting it expand.

"Oh my god!" She heard distantly. "Oh my god! She disappeared!" Jiao opened her eyes. She was surprised to see her vision was blurred, as if she was watching the world through a fogged window. She blinked as she watched Hayden scrambling to his feet as Trent and Ryder came over. Conner and Kira came out of the house.

"What's going on? We heard shouting," Kira said as they approached the three.

"It's Jiao, she's gone!" Hayden explained. Jiao stood up, confused.

"Gone? What do you mean? Did she leave?" Conner asked.

"No, I mean one second she was sitting there right beside me, the next she was gone, vanished," Hayden said. Kira and Conner's eyes widened. Jiao's brows furrowed as she slowly rose to her feet and approached them.

"Do you think the green ranger did this?" Trent asked.

"But how could he get through the security system?" Ryder asked.

"Maybe adding you guys in really did weaken the system," Conner sighed.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Jiao said, finally reaching them. Everyone jumped and looked around.

"Jiao?" Kira asked. "Where are you?"

"…..What do you mean? I'm right here," Jiao said.

"Uh…..no……you're not," Conner said, realizing the voice was coming from beside Hayden.

"Okay guys," Jiao said, rolling her eyes. "The joke's not very funny," she said, waving her hands at them. "I'm right-" her breath caught in her throat as she realized that though she had her hands up, there was nothing there. "……….Oh my god...What happened to my hands?" She shrieked.

"My guess is, the same thing that happened to the rest of you," Hayden replied. The five could hear the distinct sounds of hyperventilation coming from the empty space by Hayden. Hayden turned and looked at the space, a look of uncertainty gracing his features before putting his hands on what he thought where her shoulders.

"Okay," he said. "Jiao, calm down. Whatever this is….we can figure this out," he turned to look at Kira, Conner and Trent. "Right?" He said. Jiao's rapid breathing stopped as she realized where Hayden's hands were.

"Listen buddy, I might be invisible but that doesn't mean I'm easy," she said, smacking his hands. Hayden quickly pulled them away.

"Sorry, was trying to be comforting," he said.

"By groping my boobs?" She countered. Hayden's eyes widened.

"I thought they were your shoulders!" He exclaimed. The others couldn't help snicker.

"Uh huh, sure." Was all that Jiao replied with. Hayden glared at the space.

"Well, with those little mosquito bites, it's easy to be mistaken," he said.

"Why you little-!" The others stood back, unsure what to do as it looked like Hayden was kicked and put in a headlock by an unseen entity.

"Gah! Get her off me!" Hayden choked out. The four looked at one another.

"Uh, Jiao…" Trent said, figuring trying to grab her would only result in repeating Hayden's mistake. "Jiao, let him go," he said.

"Why?" She snapped.

"Because killing him won't fix the more important problem of you being invisible," Kira sighed. Hayden was released and pushed to the ground. Hayden sat kneeling on the ground, catching his breath before standing up.

"Psycho," he muttered. Ryder pulled Hayden away, figuring his comment would garner another attack by the invisible girl.

"So how do I get un-invisible?" She questioned. Kira, Trent and Conner looked at each other.

"Uh, well," Trent said, unsure.

"Don't tell me I have to stay like this!" Jiao exclaimed.

"Wait, wait," Conner said. "Okay……we've had this problem before," he said. "Tommy…..he was invisible, we'll just…"

"Uh yeah, no," Kira said. "Do you remember that our attempt to make him visible again put him in a coma? Sure, a short one, but a coma none the less."

"So my choice is either invisibility or coma?" Jiao said. "Better plan, please!"

"Okay, you shouting doesn't help matters," Conner sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Besides, Dr. O's permanent invisibility came after him being stuck in ranger form, due to a malfunction with his dino power," Trent pointed out. Kira's eyes widened a bit at that, and she stepped forward.

"That's it," she said.

"What's it?" Ryder asked. Kira looked at where they figured Jiao was standing.

"Jiao, before all this happened, what were you doing?" She asked.

"Practicing my powers," Jiao said with a shrug. "So?"

"Okay, but what exactly were you doing?" Kira asked. Jiao sighed.

"I was trying to put a force field around my ipod. I guess I was concentrating really hard and…….." She paused. "I pictured a dome," she said, finally realizing what Kira was getting at. "In my head, I pictured a dome and it was getting bigger…."

"Okay," Kira said, nodding. "Try picturing that dome again….only it's shrinking," she said. She wasn't sure how effective this would be but it was worth a shot. They heard Jiao take a deep breath. Jiao closed her eyes as she pictured the large dome and pictured it slowly shrinking back until it was nothing. The others let out relieved sighs as they saw Jiao reappear before them. Jiao winced slightly, afraid to open her eyes.

"Did it work?" She asked.

"Yes, it worked," she heard Kira respond. Jiao opened her eyes and looked around; her vision was no longer blurry. She looked down at her hands and let out a small excited shriek to see….well, herself.

"Thank you!" Jiao exclaimed as she launched herself and hugged Kira. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she gushed hurriedly. She paused, realizing what she just did and quickly stepped back, releasing Kira and clearing her throat. "I mean…uh, thanks," she said. Kira smiled.

"No problem, glad to help." She replied.

"How'd you figure it out?" Conner asked.

"I don't care how she figured it out, how the hell did I turn invisible and how do I make sure it never happens again?" Jiao asked.

"You weren't invisible," Kira said.

"Uh……yeah……she was. I mean, we all saw it……..well, actually, no, we didn't see……I mean…" Hayden began. Kira sighed.

"I mean, you weren't invisible exactly," Kira said. "What I mean is……well, you in a sense created an internal force field. Shielding yourself, visually." Jiao stared at Kira.

"That's different." She replied, Hayden's face lit up.

"Like Sue Storm from the Fantastic Four?!" He questioned, excitement filling his voice. Everyone stared at him. "What? Don't tell me I'm the only one who was thinking that. She can create force fields and turn invisible…..in a sense," he said.

"Anyway," Jiao said, disregarding his comment. "I don't understand…I mean, how'd I do it? I didn't mean to do it," she said.

"Who's to say," Trent said. "None of us mean to do it when we first find out about our powers. It just happens. The next part is working to control it."

"Oh great," Jiao sighed. "So not only do I have to work on force fields…..but invisibility too? Wonderful," she said.

"Invisibility is cool though." Hayden replied. "I mean if you ever do or say something completely stupid you can always just disappear." He grinned. Jiao looked at him.

"So then this power would better suit you, huh?" She said. She sighed. "I need to go," she said, going back to the house to retrieve her bag. Kira sighed and went after her. She found Jiao maneuvering what was left of the strap of her bag into a knot to sling it over her shoulder.

"I understand this is freaking you out," Kira said, walking over to her. Jiao looked at her and sighed.

"Being a power ranger……I'm starting to deal with that…….It's more……I finally understand the meaning of 'be careful what you wish for'," she admitted.

"How so?" Kira asked. Jiao sighed and sat down on the couch, ready to unload. Kira sat beside her.

"As you can tell….I don't exactly excel in the social department," she said.

"Ya don't say," Kira said. Jiao smiled softly, chuckling.

"Right," she said. "Well…I just……I don't do well with people……I don't like being around them. I mean, some members of my family are okay but as far as the rest of the world," she shrugged. "Just a bother," she said. "Of course, it's difficult being this way when your family is part of the Manhattan social elite. Every time my parents dragged me to a country club event or something equally as trivial, I just wanted to……not be there…….Disappear…..keep my annoying waspy peers far away from me……..And now I can make force fields and turn invisible. Kind of ironic, don't you think?" She asked. Kira chuckled. "What?" Jiao asked.

"These powers are nothing if not ironic," she said. "Sometimes they happen to connect to us like that," she went on, "I mean when we first got our powers ten years ago, the significance of Conner, high school jock, having super speed and me, aspiring singer/songwriter, having the super powered scream, wasn't lost on me." Jiao nodded.

"Okay," she said thoughtfully. "I get you and Conner, even Ryder having elemental powers and my powers in some round about way….but jock strap having the technopath powers? How does that work?" Kira smirked.

"Probably the same way Ethan having super strength did," she said. "Like I said, _sometimes_ they connect to who we are……and sometimes," Kira shrugged. "It's random," she said.

"Good to know," Jiao chuckled.

"Maybe it's based on his personality." Kira replied after some consideration. Jiao looked at her.

"What, his ability to be completely insane?" Jiao asked. Kira laughed.

"I don't know," she said. "Electric personality?" She offered.

"In that being electrocuted is painful? Sure, I get it," Jiao countered. Kira looked at Jiao.

"But in all honesty, sometimes there's just no telling why you get the ability that you do." She regarded Jiao carefully. "You aren't reconsidering accepting the gem, are you?" She asked. Jiao shook her head.

"I guess being able to turn invisible and everything else is just another thing I need to get used to," Jiao said. "Just like being around you crazy people," she said, giving a wry smile. Kira laughed.

"I'm going to pretend you're referring to the guys there," she said. Jiao laughed.

"I'll admit, you are normal….fame, super sonic scream and being a power ranger not withstanding," she said. Kira laughed again.

"Glad to hear it," she said, putting a friendly arm around Jiao's shoulder. "I'm just glad not to be the only double X chromosome on the team again," she said. Jiao looked at the arm around her, giving it a wary look before shrugging it off.

"Uh huh, yeah I don't do the whole gal pal bonding moment thing," she said. Kira nodded with an amused look on her face.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said. Jiao looked at her.

"Sorry, like I said, people are at best a bother, sure Ethan was the exception to the rule since……well, I idolized his work…and okay Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson, because they're my bosses and were inisistent enough……okay, I guess kind would be a better way to look at it……to help me find a place and car here in Dallas," she paused as she realized her point was getting lost. She shook her head. "All I'm saying, don't expect me to be Susie Sunshine best friend to all," she said. Kira chuckled.

"Uh huh," she said, unconvinced. Jiao just rolled her eyes, causing Kira to laugh. "Come on, let's go find the guys." Jiao sighed and pushed her bag back on the couch.

"Yeah, okay," she said, standing up. Kira followed suit and the two made their way back outside. The rangers continued working on their powers. Hayden, Jiao and Ryder worked on acclimating themselves with their new abilities while Conner and Trent relished on being able to do their abilities again after so many years. Kira, given the nature of her power and how it would affect the others, simply watched on. The group went on until dusk turned into night and it grew too dark to work outside.

"I guess that's enough for today," Kira announced. The group nodded and came together before going back in the house. Kira looked at Hayden, Ryder and Jiao. "You guys want to stay for dinner?" She asked.

"Sorry, I have homework," Hayden said. "Gotta love that summer school," he deadpanned. "If I fail chemistry again, I'll lose my scholarship.

"Kind of want to get back to work on my sculpture," Ryder said. "Sorry."

"Yeah, and I'm just not interested," Jiao replied, grabbing her bag from the couch. Trent snorted loudly from his position at the table.

"You'll have to do it sometime." He commented as they headed for the door. Jiao shrugged and dismissed his statement as the three made their way to the line of cars outside the house. Hayden looked at Jiao.

"Hey, can I get a ride back to campus? I promise not to kill your car this time," he said, with a smile. Jiao looked at him.

"You want a ride from me and my mosquito bites?" She smirked. "Yeah, you can walk," she said with a slight tilt of her head before getting in her car. Ryder shook his head and put a hand on Hayden's shoulder.

"I'll give you a ride," he said. It was in the opposite direction of where he was going, but he figured he'd extend the good gesture none the less. Trent, Kira and Conner watched as Jiao got into her car, while Ryder and Hayden climbed into Ryder's. They waited for a few more moments while they watched their new protégées drive away.

"Well, this has turned out to be an eventful day, huh?" Kira mused. Conner and Trent just looked at her.

"You can say that again." Conner muttered under his breath. Trent nodded, agreeing with them both.

"So, should we get dinner started?" Trent asked. Kira sighed and rested her head on Conner's shoulder.

"All for ordering take out say aye," she said. Conner smiled and gently rubbed her back.

"Aye," he said. Trent nodded.

"Take out it is then." The others nodded before all three returned inside the house. Kira and Conner settled on the couch as Trent went about placing the pick up order at the nearby Chinese restaurant. They had figured, for the sake of the security system, it was best to not have deliveries come to the house. As it was, they had already set up P.O. boxes at the post office to lessen the need for mail carriers to come by the house. After a few moments Trent re-emerged from the Kitchen.

"Ok, so the food's ordered." He looked to see his two friends on the couch. Kira looked pretty tired curled up on the couch, which given her taking on the emotionally taxing task of telling Kimberly of Tommy, Trent couldn't blame her. Conner sat beside her, letting her rest her head on his lap as he idly stroked her hair and back. Trent smiled, thinking of times he and Kendra would sit like that. He didn't want to disturb the relaxed couple. "I can pick it up," he offered. Conner looked up at him and gave him a grateful smile.

"Thanks, man," he said. Trent smiled.

"No problem." He replied grabbing the car keys. "I'll be back in a little while," he said as he made his way to the door.

"Be careful," Kira murmured from her spot on the couch. Trent nodded before leaving. Conner looked down at Kira.

"You tired?" He asked. Kira gave a noncommittal sound before pulling herself up to a sitting up position.

"I'm okay," she said. "It's just been a long day, trying to recover from it," she said. Conner nodded before putting an arm around her shoulders and drawing her close so her head rested against his shoulder before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Just rest until Trent gets back." He replied. Kira smiled as she snuggled into his embrace.

"You take such good care of me," she said softly. Conner grinned before placing another, lingering kiss on her forehead.

"It's what I do," he said warmly.

"Oh yeah?" Kira asked. "And why's that?"

"Because I love you," he responded as if it were obvious. "And taking care of you is like….taking care of myself," he finished, albeit a little lamely as he hadn't been sure how to word his feelings. Kira chuckled gently.

"I love you too," she replied. "Even if you are corny," she said. Conner laughed.

"Good to know," he said. "Now relax, you," he said. He felt Kira nod against him.

"Can do." She replied. She was eased into a relaxing state of being as she felt Conner's hand move from her shoulders to the back of her head as he gently massaged her scalp. Kira sighed gently and let her eyes drift shut.

--

Jiao entered her house to the sound of her phone ringing. She sighed, realizing the relaxing soak in the tub she'd planned on the drive home would have to wait. She went to the phone, shedding her bag and shoes on her way, and picked it up as she collapsed on her couch.

"Hello?" She said, somewhat annoyed.

"Jeez, what a greeting, Jaybird," came the reply. Jiao smiled gently, recognizing the voice of her brother, as well as he was the only one who'd use that nickname.

"Hi Kai," she replied, sighing a bit as she lifted her feet up to her coffee table and reclined on her spot on the couch. "To what do I owe this phone call?" She asked.

"Just thought I'd check to see how my baby sister was doing," he said.

"In other words, mom and dad were having a paranoia fit and were afraid that I might be screening my calls?" Jiao asked. Kai chuckled.

"Pretty much," he joked. "So, how are you doing?" He asked. Jiao cast a look down at the silver gauntlet on her wrist.

"I'm all right," she said breezily. "Nothing major to report," she said. "How about you?" She asked, changing the subject to avoid further lying to her brother. "How's Carolyn and the alien?"

"She's fine, and I'd thank you to quit referring to my unborn child as an alien," he said, annoyed. "You're not the one having to deal with a pregnant woman whose emotions are pretty much tied to her hormones," he grumbled. Jiao laughed.

"Well, it's yours, so it must be not totally human," Jiao grinned.

"Very funny," Kai responded. "So I'm guessing you taking the doting aunt position would be a pipe dream?" He asked, amused. Jiao chuckled.

"Hey, I'll be an amazing aunt and totally dote on my little niece or nephew….multiple heads and all," she joked. 

"Be nice." Kai told her. Jiao just laughed.

"This is me being nice, yeesh, and I thought we were related!"

"True," Kai replied. "So, anyway, how's Dallas? Made any new friends yet?" He asked. Jiao rolled her eyes. She'd been living in Dallas for ten months now and every time she spoke with Kai, he'd ask her about friends as if it was still her first week there. "Oh wait, what am I saying, you don't make friends," he teased.

"Shut up," she replied. "I'll have you know I have made friends," she said. She hadn't planned on making any references to her day and meeting the others and getting her powers, nor did she consider them her friends, but she had to say something to spite her brother's comment.

"Well I'll be damned," Kai replied.

"Ha, so there." She replied, in a telephone version of sticking out her tongue.

"I guess 23 years of being an anti-social freak have finally come to an end?" He teased. Jiao frowned.

"You do realize I could hang up on you, right?" She asked.

"Yes, but you wouldn't because you love me." He replied.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" She teased.

"Kai, honey," came a new voice after the sound of someone picking up an extension. "Time to get off the phone and come to dinner."

"Hey Carolyn," Jiao said, recognizing her sister-in-law's voice.

"Oh hi Jiao," Carolyn responded, the smile evident in her voice. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you guys were talking," she said.

"Yeah we were just finishing up." Jiao replied.

"Okay then," Carolyn said. "Oh before I forget, we got another sonogram done, so expect a picture in an email pretty soon," she said.

"Will do," Jiao nodded as she heard Carolyn say a quick goodbye and hang up.

"Okay, I guess that's my cue to bid adieu," Kai spoke up. Jiao laughed.

"Tell mom and dad to quit worrying and I'm alive and well," she said.

"Got'cha," he said. "Bye Jaybird," he said.

"Bye Kai," she replied, hanging up. Jiao reclined on the couch, letting out a deep breath. It felt weird lying to her brother. All her life, with the strained relationship she shared with her parents and sister Li-ying, Jiao always had a closeness with Kai. A part of her figured that the closeness she had with him had a lot to do with seeing him as her own personal superhero when she was seven years old and he was fifteen, since he was the one who let her out when Li-ying thought it'd be funny to lock her in the hall closet of their home, an event that had psychologically scarred her enough that even now sixteen years later she still couldn't stand to be in tight enclosed spaces. Jiao was never anything but forthcoming about her brother and their Lao Lao, who she shared just as much as a close connection to before she passed away. Now, sitting there and pretending everything was as normal as could be on the same day that she became a power ranger and gained powers left a sour taste in her mouth. Jiao sighed and stood up. Maybe a glass of water would help. Jiao stretched her arms behind her as she padded into the kitchen, letting the cold linoleum floor of the kitchen cool her skin as she took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water from the sink. She titled her head back as she chugged the contents of the class, swallowing the refreshing the liquid as she hoped it'd wash down her guilt about lying to her brother. Once she drained the glass, she let out a breath and set the glass down on the sink. She looked at the gauntlet on her wrist, the pink gem glittering under the fluorescent light in the kitchen. She took the gauntlet off and placed it on the counter, rubbing her other hand on her wrist a bit as she felt a mass of fur walk past her ankles. She smiled a bit to herself before turning around and scooping Tybalt up in her arms.

"You just like sneaking past me, don't ya?" She asked. Tybalt purred in response, snuggling against her. Jiao grinned and gently rubbed the cat's belly with her finger as she carried him back to the living room with her. She let herself collapse on the couch, stretching out until she was lying on her side with her head propped on the arm of the couch and Tybalt occupying the space of couch right by her chest. "How about we watch some TV, eh fur brain?" She asked as she reached over him and picked up the remote from the coffee table. Tybalt simply walked around the couch before lying down on his side next to her. Jiao chuckled and scratched him behind the ears with her other hand as she pointed the remote to her TV and pressed the ON button. Instead of coming to life, the TV suddenly exploded. Jiao gave a startled yelp as she threw her arm over herself and Tybalt, shielding the cat and her face from any flying glass shards from the TV.

"Consider it a favor," said a sinister voice behind her, "you know what they say about TV rotting your brain. Jiao's eyes widened as she slowly lowered her arm and sat up, peering over the back of the couch, where she saw the Green Ranger standing.

"Oh, that was you?" She said, trying her hardest to be nonchalant, but the tremble in her voice was enough evidence of her fear. She swallowed hard as her arm tightened around Tybalt. "Was beginning to think that springing for that extended warranty was a rip off or something."

"Clearly you don't need to anymore." He replied stepping closer. Jiao quickly stood up, discretely placing a throw pillow on the couch over Tybalt, hoping to hide him from the Green Ranger as well as hoping the kitten didn't move and make her attempt to hide him useless. She understood that the guy in green most likely wanted to kill her so she wasn't going to chance and find out what he could do to her cat.

"So, uh, what brings you to my humble abode?" She asked as she stepped around her coffee table to put some distance between them. Her bare feet crunched over the broken glass from the TV, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut and take in a shuddering breath so as not to yelp or have any other pained reaction as the glass cut into her skin. "Unannounced, I might add," Jiao said through clenched teeth as she tried to swallow back the pain. "Had I known you were coming over, I would've cooked or cleaned," she shrugged. "Now I just feel like such a horrible hostess."

"Well don't worry. Your hostess skills won't be needed where you're going." He replied stepping around the couch. Jiao resisted the urge to let out a relieved sigh as he passed by the couch, not noticing the small creature sitting on it.

"Well," she said, looking at him. "As much as this banter is fun, why don't we get down to business?" She said. She went to raise her arm up to activate her gem, only to remember Tybalt's brushing past her had distracted her and she had forgotten to put the gauntlet back on. "Shit," she muttered to herself, realizing her source of power and protection was sitting on the kitchen counter.

"I couldn't agree more," the green ranger sneered, making Jiao revert her attention from her bare wrist back to him, just in time to catch the right hook to her temple, knocking her down to the carpeted floor with only the sound of a pained grunt and crunching glass heard in the house.

--

"Hmm," Kira said gently as she twirled her fork around, gathering noodles up before popping the fork in her mouth. "Note to self, this place does a killer shrimp lo mien," she said. Kira, Conner and Trent all sat in the kitchen, enjoying the Chinese take out Trent had gotten.

"Their kung pao chicken isn't too bad either," Conner replied. Trent went to give his thoughts on his own meal when a shrill ringing sound erupted through the house. The three looked at each other, surprised by the sudden emergence of the noise.

"What is that?" Trent asked, covering his ears. Conner's eyes widened.

"It's the security system," he said in a grave tone. Kira and Trent's eyes widened as well as the three jumped to their feet.

"You think he's here?" Kira asked. Conner didn't reply as he took her hand in his and pulled her to the basement. Trent figured the best to do was follow.

"I don't know," Conner finally answered as they ran into the lab. "If he is, we're safest in here," he said as he went to the computer. Kira and Trent stood back and watched as he hit a few buttons on the keyboard. The alarm finally stopped. "Well," Conner said, his eyes trained on the screen. "Good news is, we now know the system still works……Bad news is, there's trouble at Jiao's place." Kira closed her eyes. She had wished it had been a false alarm, hoping they could have just more rest since their last encounter. But apparently their new enemy didn't like to rest on his laurels.

"I'll contact the others," she said.

--

Jiao blinked, trying to clear the ringing in her head from the hit she took. She could feel the glass cut her arm from when she fell.

"Oh come on," she heard the green ranger said, pain exploded in her stomach as she felt him slam his foot into her midsection. "Just one little hit and you're down? Aren't you supposed to be a big strong power ranger?" He spat out. Jiao closed her eyes, taking in a long breath from her nose, concentrating, focusing on ignoring her pain and fighting back. "I guess you're just as weak and pathetic as all those former rangers I disposed of," he said. Jiao opened her eyes as her fingers curled around a shard of glass at her side. "Well, I suppose you'll be seeing them soon," he said.

"Yeah," Jiao coughed out, "I don't think so." In one lightening quick fluid motion, Jiao shot up to a sitting position and slashed the piece of glass across his ankle.

"Agh!" The green ranger exclaimed as he fell back. He wobbled back, falling over the coffee table and hitting the couch. The sudden movement must've startled Tybalt, since a quick yelping meow came from under the throw pillow as the little black thing scurried off the couch and ran to Jiao's bedroom. The green ranger watched the cat run away and looked at Jiao. "I see you weren't alone," he sneered. Jiao's eyes widened as she quickly jumped to her feet. Her first instinct should've been to run to the kitchen and grab her gauntlet, but she wasn't about to let the green ranger out of her sight so he could occupy himself with dealing with Tybalt, so she ran to her bedroom and shut the door, pressing her weight against it in hopes of keeping him out. She grunted and did her best to hold her ground as she felt the green ranger shove against it. Her feet slid a bit on the floor as the green ranger was able to push the door open a few inches.

"Give up, girlie, you're no match for me," he taunted. Jiao slammed her body against the door, pushing it shut. She placed her hand on the dresser by the door, bracing herself against it and putting all her weight on the door.

"Go screw yourself," she growled back. The green ranger gave one last, final, and much harder, shove, which bushed the door open and sent Jiao sprawling back on the floor, avoiding falling on top of Tybalt by mere inches. She looked at her cat. "Oh, _now's _when you don't bury yourself under the bed or piles of clothes and hide?" She hissed. She pushed the cat away, making it scurry to the other side of the room and scrambled to her feet as she saw the green ranger stroll into her room. Her eyebrows went up as she saw he was also not alone as two Hawthorns stood with him. "If I'm no match for you, what's with bringing in your buddies?" She questioned.

"Figured I'd rather watch them kill you," he replied, his tone telling her of the smirk in his face. He looked over to where the cat was perched by the wall, staring up at the action going on. Jiao raised her hand up and, out of precaution, put a force field around Tybalt. "How cute," the green ranger sneered. He looked at the two Hawthorns beside him. "Kill her," he ordered. Jiao closed her eyes and focused even harder, trying to get in the same mindset she'd been in earlier that day. She visualized the dome; let it get bigger and bigger until she let her self become invisible before the three intruders. The Hawthorns began to move forward, but stopped when Jiao disappeared. The Green Ranger stepped forward.

"What the hell?" He questioned. Jiao slowly moved away, careful not to make a sound to alert them of her presence or where she was. "Where did she go?" The green ranger growled to his two comrades, who looked back at him blankly. Jiao inched her way closer to Tybalt, letting out a slow quiet breath as she felt herself growing weary. _Okay, _she thought_, note to self: you can make force fields, and you can go invisible, but not both at the same time_. She stood against the wall next to Tybalt, leaning against it as her mind began to spin. _Come on Jay_, she told herself, _just hold out……a little longer_. "Did you hear that?" She heard the green ranger ask. She opened her eyes as she saw the green ranger tilting his head towards the wall. He paused, as if suddenly realizing something. "She's still here," she heard him say. _Crap, crap, crap, crap_, Jiao thought frantically. The green ranger slowly made his way to the wall, the Hawthorns flanking each side of him, making it impossible for Jiao to slip past them unnoticed. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck fuck,_ Jiao thought. She squeezed her eyes shut as the exertion began to take its toll. She could feel the force field around Tybalt wavering as her head lulled against the wall. The sound of someone or something kicking in the front door caused the green ranger and the Hawthorns attentions to snap towards the open bedroom door. Jiao slowly slid down and let the field around Tybalt vanish as she picked him up and, using as much strength as she could muster, used this distraction to shove past the green ranger with a loud grunt and run out of the room as fast as her shaking legs could carry her.

--

Ryder pulled up to the university campus, stopping his car.

"Thanks, man," Hayden spoke as his hand went to the door handle of the car. Ryder nodded.

"No problem," he said. Hayden popped the door open as Ryder's cell phone went off. Ryder reached into his pocket and fished out the device. Hayden climbed out of the car and looked back out of curiosity. "Hello?" Ryder said as he got the phone open and answered. His face fell. "What?" He said, casting a look at Hayden.

"What?" Hayden asked.

"It's Kira," he replied. Yeah, Hayden's here……….Where?" Hayden heard Ryder ask over the phone. Ryder quickly nodded and simply dropped the phone as his hands gripped the steering wheel. "Get back in," he said to Hayden; with such urgency that Hayden didn't question it. Hayden had barely gotten all the way when Ryder sped away. Hayden fell in the seat, sitting up quickly as he reached for the door handle and pulled the door shut.

"What's going on?" He asked, being shoved against the door as Ryder made a sharp turn.

"The alarm system was triggered," he said. Hayden's face fell.

"Where?"

"Jiao's place," Ryder replied as he made another sharp turn, causing Hayden to fall against him. Hayden pulled himself up and quickly grabbed the seatbelt, buckling himself in. Within minutes, the two arrived at the address Kira had given Ryder and got out of the car. They looked at the house before them, aside from the unkempt looking porch, all seemed well. The two slowly gout out of the car and froze as they heard the loud BANG of a door being shoved open. Ryder didn't want to chance wondering if it was an innocent sound as he sprang to life, running up the porch steps and kicking the door open. Hayden ran to catch up with him as the two entered the house. Hayden's eyes widened at the sight of the busted TV and glass, even more so when he saw the specks of blood on the glass and the bloody footprints that led to another room.

"Oh……shit," he whispered, fearing they'd been too late.

"Ugh!" They heard someone yell, sending them into defensive stances as they heard the beat of approaching footsteps. Their brows furrowed at the sight of what looked like a floating cat coming toward them.

"What the.." Hayden muttered before Jiao suddenly appeared before them, signifying she'd been holding the cat, before collapsing face first on the floor as the cat landed on the floor and scurried away. Ryder and Hayden dropped down next to Jiao and grabbed her arms, pulling her to her feet.

"You okay?" Hayden asked, though he realized it was a stupid thing to ask as he saw the bloody footprints she'd left in her wake, the blood running down one of her arms, and her dazed look.

"None of you will be okay for much longer," came the reply from the bedroom door as the green ranger and two Hawthorns came into the room.

"Tybalt…..where's Tybalt….?" Jiao muttered deliriously as she tried to hold herself up on her own two feet.

"Who the hell invited you clowns over," Ryder growled. The green ranger chuckled and threw his hands up.

"I like to drop by uninvited, keeps everyone on their toes," he said, his gaze narrowing to Jiao, "bloodied as they may be," he said, the smirk evident in his tone.

"Go to hell." She muttered, her eyes still scanning the floor for her cat.

"Only if you'll accompany me." The snarky reply came. Hayden opened his mouth to reply when he felt something, or someone brush past his arm, he looked over, his eyes focusing on a faint white shimmer moving across the wall until it reached where the green ranger stood.

"How about you go first!" Said a voice as suddenly Tent seemed to appear from the wall itself and land a punch in the green ranger's face, knocking the ranger down. The Hawthorns jumped to attention and went to attack Trent but were disposed of by a red blur rushing into the living room and beating them senseless. "Hey ugly!" Came a voice from behind the Green Ranger. The evil ranger spun around and was quickly flung on his back by a loud scream. Ryder quickly pulled Jiao away from Hayden and ducked away as Hayden dove the other way, barely missing the green ranger as he fell to the floor where they had just been standing.

"Three against one really doesn't seem like fair odds," Conner said as he stood by Kira, having had dealt with the Hawthorns enough for now.

"No," Kira replied. "Not like five against three," she smirked; automatically taking Jiao out of the group, seeing the state the girl was in. Ryder and Hayden nodded getting what they meant.

"Stay here," Ryder said to Jiao as he and Hayden stepped forward. As a unit, Ryder, Hayden, Conner, Kira and Trent held up their gauntlet clad wrists.

"Dino thunder, power up!" Came the collective cry. Jiao watched as the five of them were incased in different colored uniforms.

"I think it's time to take out the trash," Trent said behind his white helmet as the green ranger slowly rose to his feet.

"I'll destroy you rangers, just like I destroyed the others," the green ranger hissed.

"You seem to have a good job so far." Conner snorted. The green ranger seemed to glare at Conner before looking at one of the Hawthorns. The creature must've gotten some meaning from that look because it got up and took a step towards where Tybalt stood near the kitchen.

"No!" Jiao yelled as she tried to run to Tybalt. The green ranger chuckled and caught her arm before she could get too far and pulled her back against him, his other hand holding her in place by a tight grip on her neck.

"So predictable," the green ranger laughed. Jiao's eyes widened as she realized the Hawthorn's approach towards Tybalt was just to get a reaction out of her and she'd stupidly fallen into the trap. "It's actually quite amusing….a ranger's short tenure ended all because of the love for a little house pet," he sneered.

"Let her go," Conner demanded.

"No," the green ranger said. "I think I'd much rather have you watch me snap her little neck," he replied. Ryder stared at the green ranger before his eyes slowly shifted over his shoulder. He could see, through the door he had kicked open, a tree with long thin branches a foot away from Jiao's porch. Ryder closed his eyes, concentrating as he used his powers to manipulate the tree.

"What the…..!" The green ranger exclaimed as a branch came through the room and wrapped around the ranger's waist. It yanked him through the door, his grip on Jiao yanking her back and nearly choking her before she fell from his grip and he was flung outside by the branch. Jiao fell in a sitting position on the floor, holding herself up with her arms. She felt a hand gently take her arm and looked up to see Hayden in his blue ranger garb going to help her up. Jiao held her arms up and let him pull her to her feet. The six tensed and looked at the door as they saw the green ranger standing in the doorway, bracing himself against the frame.

"This isn't over, rangers," he hissed through a pained pant, "not by a long shot," and with that, he and the two Hawthorns vanished. Jiao pulled herself out of Hayden's arms.

"Jia-" he began, trying to keep her from moving in her weakened state. Jiao shook him off and slowly tried to get to Tybalt, only to stumble against her couch as she gripped the back to keep herself up.

"I've got him," she heard Trent say. She looked up and saw Trent go over and gently pick the kitten up while Hayden put a hand on her back and led her to the couch, having her sit down. Trent came over, lightly scratching Tybalt behind the ears as he placed the cat on her lap.

"Power down, guys," Conner said as their uniforms disappeared and they stood their normal clothes.

"Jesus," Kira whispered as she went over and sat beside Jiao, taking a look at her injuries. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jiao replied, holding Tybalt close with her good arm. Conner walked over and took her other arm in his hands, pulling it up. Jiao hissed. "Jeez man, try being a little gentle with the blood spilling arm, will ya?"

"Where's your morpher?" Conner asked. Jiao sighed.

"I left it in the kitchen," she said. Conner let go of her arm and went to the kitchen, finding the gauntlet on the corner and returning to the others.

"Ranger Rule number one," he said lowly, "never, and I mean **never** take your morpher off, understand? You never know when you're going to suddenly need it right away."

"I took it off for just a second," Jiao said, "…..which became more than a second when I forgot about it and came out here…….and by the time I remembered I left it in there, it was too late." 

"And now you'll remember to never take it off." He replied.

"Hey man, you see she's had it rough tonight, can't the lecture wait," Hayden spoke up.

"He's right, Conner," Kira said, putting a hand on Jiao's back. "Let's just be glad we got here before anything worse happened." Conner sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Do you have any idea how close we all came to losing someone else?" He said.

"Yeah, we do," Trent said. "But jumping down the girl's throat isn't going to change anything," he said. Conner rolled his eyes and tossed Jiao's gauntlet on the coffee table.

"This isn't some fashion accessory," he said to Jiao. "You don't just wear it whenever the hell you feel like it."

"I get that." She replied, anger filling her voice.

"Do you?" Conner asked, tilting his head. "Do you really? I mean, I would think that your encounter with the green ranger and the Hawthorns earlier today was enough to tell you these guys mean business and this is some serious stuff. But obviously it wasn't."

"Conner," Kira chastised.

"Look, I messed up," Jiao snapped. "It's my first fricken day on the job, what the hell do you want from me?!"

"The green ranger isn't going to care if it's your first, second, or third day, he'll take whatever chance he can get to make it your last," Conner replied.

"I know that!" Jiao exclaimed. "The bastard just tried to use my cat against me, I know he has no problems jumping at whatever chance he can get. I know I screwed up by taking off the gem, I know I screwed up by forgetting to put it back on right away, what else do you want me to say?"

"Nothing else if you're going to show a blatant disregard to the one thing that'll keep you from ending up like the others," Conner muttered. Kira stood up from the couch and glared at Conner.

"That's enough!" Kira yelled. "Conner, back off, now," she ordered. "She realizes she made a mistake, she's not going to do it again, just drop it okay?" Conner stared at her.

"How can you say that after all the crap that's happened? What did what happen to Dr. O just totally slip your mind?"

"No, it didn't," Kira replied. "Yes, we've seen how homicidal these guys are, how much more ruthless they are than anything we've faced before, but god damnit Conner I swear to god if you don't shut your mouth right now, I'll come over and kick your ass!" The room went silent after Kira finished yelling. "Thank you," she said as she sat back down and picked up the gauntlet from the table. She gently took Jiao's hand and placed the item back on her wrist. "Taking off gauntlet, bad, got it?" She said. Jiao nodded.

"Yeah, got it," she said. Kira nodded and looked back at Conner.

"See?" She said.

"Yeah, I see." He responded sarcastically. Jiao looked around her house as she gently scratched Tybalt's head.

"Man, my house is trashed," she muttered.

"Better your house than you," Conner muttered, rolling his eyes. Jiao snorted.

"Yeah, well I'm trashed too in case you've been to busy reading me the riot act to notice," she said. Conner opened his mouth to bark out a reply but was cut off by Kira's sharp glare.

"Look," Trent piped up. "We're all a little wired right now, so I think the best thing for us to do is take a breather and just calm down. Hayden, Ryder and I will stay here with Jiao tonight, and Conner and Kira can head back to the house to monitor things."

"Fine," Conner growled, tired of arguing. Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the room. Kira sighed and looked at Trent.

"And you can't go back with Conner because….?" She asked. Trent shrugged.

"I don't want to hear anymore of his ranting, and you're his girlfriend so you should be used to it."

"Gee, thanks," Kira said. She looked at Jiao. "You going to be okay?" She asked.

"Oh yeah," Jiao said, chuckling and then wincing as it made her stomach hurt from where the green ranger had kicked her. "I'll be fit as a fiddle in no time," she said. Kira nodded.

"Let the guys take care of you, okay?" She said, before standing up and leaving. Jiao rolled her eyes before looking at the three remaining guys.

"I'm fine," she said before going to stand up and go to her room, only to hiss at the pain it caused. "Ya know what, I'm good right here," she said before sinking back on the couch.

"How about we work on getting the glass out of your feet?" Ryder asked as Kira followed Conner out of the house. Jiao looked at him and nodded.

"Yeah, sure," she said. "There's some……..first aid stuff……in the kitchen," she said. Ryder nodded and went off to find the items in question. Trent and Hayden looked at the room, namely the floor.

"We'll take care of the remaining glass," Trent said as he and Trent went off to find brooms.

"Broom's in the pantry," Jiao called after them as she turned sideways and laid out on the cough, letting Tybalt jump down from the couch and pad away. "Crap, forgot, it's time to feed him," she said to herself as she went to get up.

"We'll take care of it," Hayden spoke up. Jiao nodded.

"Thanks." She replied. Ryder returned to the living room with the small toolbox-like bucket she kept under her sink with all first aid items. He set the bucket on the coffee table. "Ugh, don't tell me I've go to sit up," she muttered. Ryder chuckled.

"Nah, its fine, stay like that," he said. She felt him pick up her feet and sit down on the couch before placing her feet on his lap. She lifted her head up a bit and peered at him.

"What are you doing?" She asked suspiciously, not liking the closeness this position suggested.

"You don't want to sit up; I need to get the glass out of your feet, what's the problem?" He asked. Jiao shook her head.

"Nothing," she muttered before lying her head back down. Ryder smirked to himself as he pulled the bucket closer and pulled out a set of tweezers. He carefully used them to pick out the pieces of broken glass and place them on the table, every so often eliciting a hiss or a flinch from Jiao.

After pulling out a particularly large piece of glass, there was an audible 'Ouch' from Jiao.

"Sorry." Ryder commented.

"It's fine," she replied. From the kitchen, she could hear Hayden using the can opener to open a can of cat food before placing it in a cat dish and placing it on the floor before Tybalt got up from his perch on the floor and padded to the kitchen at the smell of food. Trent came back to the living room with a broom and dust pan in one hand while pulling the garbage can from the kitchen behind him with the other. Hayden walked back into the room a few minutes later.

"So your cat's eating... I'm going to go make sure that your basement is secure." Jiao simply nodded.

"Be careful," Trent advised as he began to sweep the glass on the floor into a pile. Hayden nodded before leaving.

"Okay," Ryder announced. "All the glass is out of your feet," he said.

"Hooray," Jiao deadpanned. She felt Ryder shift as he went to grab something from the box. She heard the sound of a bottle being uncapped, a few seconds later, pain swept across her foot. "Jesus fucking Christ!" She yelped, flinching and almost sitting up. She glared at Ryder who was looking at her, the rubbing alcohol filled cotton ball poised to make another swipe. "A little warning would've been nice," she hissed.

"Sorry," Ryder said.

"Uh huh, right, sorry my ass." She muttered under her breath. Ryder rolled his eyes.

"As much as the contrary may seem, I'm actually not a sadist," he said. "It's not like I'm getting any joy out of this."

"Whatever, man," Jiao said, settling back down on the couch.

"God, must you be so difficult?" Ryder asked.

"Hello! Badly injured person here, sorry if I'm not exactly Mary freaking Sunshine at the moment," she barked. Trent chuckled as he looked over at the two.

"Something tells me you wouldn't be 'Mary freaking Sunshine' even if you were perfectly fine," he joked. Jiao sent a glare over in Trent's direction, causing him to chuckle.

"Just for that, I have no problem letting you know that the three of you have to fight for the couch when it comes to sleeping arrangements tonight and two of you will have to sleep on the floor," she grumbled, referring to her lack of proper space for guests.

"Isn't it good manners to offer your bed to guests?" Ryder teased as he continued cleaning her foot.

"Yeah well, not for unwanted guests," Jiao replied with mock sweetness.

"I'm not unwanted am I?" Hayden questioned walking back into the room. Jiao tilted her head up to look at him and shrugged.

"You fed my cat, I guess you're okay," she said.

"……Oh and me the guy who's tending to your wounds is what…….chopped chicken liver?" Ryder chuckled.

"Pretty much, yes," she replied. Trent shook his head at the three.

"No one's making you give up your bed, Jiao," Trent informed. "Well figure out the sleeping arrangements later," he said. Ryder tossed the cotton ball in his hand into the garbage can before grabbing another one and dousing it with alcohol and going back to tend to Jiao's feet.

"You do realize there are a few little pieces of glass in her arm too, right?" Hayden pointed out.

"I was going to take care of it after her foot," Ryder pointed out. Hayden shrugged.

"I'll do it," he said. Jiao saw him take a seat on the coffee table before taking the abandoned tweezers in his hand.

"Thank you so much for putting your ass on my coffee table," Jiao muttered. Hayden shot her a grin.

"You're very welcome," he said before getting to work on her arm. Jiao just rolled her eyes. Trent simply chuckled and continued sweeping up the glass. By the time he had dumped the last batch of glass into the garbage can; Ryder had finished cleaning her feet and was now wrapping gauze around them while Hayden was busy rubbing alcohol on the wounds on her arm. After a few minutes he took the gauze and wrapped it around her arm.

"And done." Both Ryder and Hayden went over and helped her up into a sitting position. Hayden's hands went to the hem of her shirt, only to be slapped away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I was just going to check to see if your stomach was okay," Hayden replied. Jiao rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Nice try. First you grope my boobs to 'comfort me' and now this? Jeez," she said. Hayden glared at her as Ryder and Trent snickered.

"Okay, yeah, seriously, you're not my type," Hayden said.

"Uh huh," Jiao replied as she too snickered. Hayden narrowed his eyes.

"Okay, hun, I don't know how else to make it clear to you--Your cat is the only kind of pussy I would ever see myself thinking of," he said, which made all the snickers in the room die down as the room was engulfed in silence.

"Well, that was awkward." Jiao commented a few minutes later.

"Well, I figured the blunt approach would be the only way to go with you," Hayden replied.

"...So you're saying?" Ryder trailed off. Hayden looked at him.

"I'm gay, a homosexual, proud waver of that rainbow flag, a-"

"Okay, I think we've got it," Trent cut in. Hayden tilted his head towards Trent.

"Is this a problem?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow as if to say he had no qualms with dealing with Trent if it were. Trent raised his hands up in a sign of peace.

"No," Trent clarified. "Not saying I'm homophobic or anything, what you do is your thing, just saying that no further explanation is needed."

"Alrighty then!" Hayden replied cheerfully. He turned back to Jiao. "So, now that you know I'm not trying to hit on you-"

"Yeah, gay or not, I'm not having some stranger check out the goods," she snorted. Hayden shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever." He replied. "Just trying to be helpful," he said. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine," she said. "The fucker just kicked me in the stomach when I was down, so I'm a little sore, no big deal," she said.

"You might have a broken rib or something," Ryder pointed out. Jiao rolled her eyes and sat up straighter before lifting her shirt up and folding it right under the bottom of her bra so only her stomach was visible.

"Happy?" She said, annoyed. Hayden laughed and looked at her stomach.

"Cute," he commented, referring to her small silver bellybutton ring.

"Are you going to play Florence Nightingale or are you going to make editorial comments?" Jiao snarled.

"Sorry," Hayden shrugged. Hayden lightly pressed on Jiao's stomach, moving his hands around slightly and constantly checking her face for signs of pain. Jiao closed her eyes as she felt a slight twinge of discomfort as his hands moved lower. "You okay?" She heard him ask. Jiao nodded.

"Yeah," she said. His hands got to a few inches away from her bellybutton and pressed down, "ah!" Jiao yelped. Hayden pulled his hands away.

"Okay, you're ribs feel okay, it just looks like he got you in the gut, so you might have a bruise there in the morning," Hayden explained. He looked at her ring. "You might want to take that out too, the skin around it is looking a little red," he said. Jiao nodded and let her shirt fall back down before reaching under it with her hands. The three guys watched her hands moving under her shirt until they came out with the ring held in one. "It's like a magic trick," Hayden chuckled.

"You make me sound like an attraction at a carnival." She replied. Hayden shrugged.

"Well, Sue Storm, we're all a little Circus Freaky now, aren't we?" He said.

"Don't call me Sue Storm, Jockstrap," Jiao muttered.

"Don't call me Jockstrap," he replied in the same fashion.

"Would you prefer Rainbow Brite?" Jiao teased. Hayden thought about it for a moment.

"Hmm, if I'm Rainbow Brite, then does that make you My Little Pony?"

"Hey, I'm no one's 'pony'," Jiao shot back.

"All right, Will and Grace, give it a rest," Ryder replied, rolling his eyes. A part of him was feeling a little left out of their back and forth but mostly he was just growing tired. Tybalt, having finished his dinner, padded out from the kitchen and walked under the coffee table before jumping up on the couch and settling down beside Jiao. Jiao reached over and scratched the little cat behind the ears.

"Hamlet, right?" Hayden asked. Jiao looked up.

"Hmm?" She asked.

"That's where that name's from, right?" He questioned. Jiao looked at him for a moment, trying to get what he meant before chuckling, shaking her head.

"You get points for knowing its Shakespearian I guess. Tybalt's from Romeo and Juliet," she clarified.

"Prince of Cats," Ryder said. Jiao looked at him, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards a bit, impressed that he got it. "Clever," he said.

"I try." She replied dryly. She looked back down at her cat who had now turned on his back, expecting a belly rub. Jiao complied, stroking the soft fur of his stomach as his little paws patted her wrist. "Besides, it seemed fitting since he tries to act princely, don't you, you little lazy ball of fluff?" The cat simply brought his head up and nuzzled her fingers in response. The room was quiet for a while, quiet enough that the low growl from Hayden's stomach was heard. Everyone looked at him.

"Sorry," he said, chuckling a bit.

"Guess you guys should see about dinner," Trent said, since he had had a fair amount of his take out before the alarm went off and was therefore not hungry. Jiao sighed and slowly stood up, picking Tybalt up in her arms.

"Whatever you can find in the kitchen is yours, I'm going to bed," she said, wincing slightly as she put pressure on the wounds on her feet.

"Alright, we'll be here if you need us." Trent replied. Jiao waved a dismissive hand at them as she limped to her bedroom. She set Tybalt down and went to close her door. Due to being shoved open by the green ranger, it was slightly dented and didn't close all the way, so she simply let it rest against the doorframe before hobbling over to the dresser and pulling out a light white cotton sleep pants and tank top set. She took the items under her arm and slowly moved to her bed, tossing them on the surface before collapsing on it herself. She sat for a while, staring at the wall as she heard the guys talking and moving around outside. She closed her eyes after a while as she finally let all the things that had happen within the last hour affect her. She didn't want to seem too scared or upset in front of the others, she didn't want to seem weak……….or, weaker than the state she'd been found in suggested……but now, alone in her room, she could react. She took a deep breath, her trembling hands pulling her shirt off before putting on her pajama top. She reclined back on her bed and lifted her hips up to take off her skirt and tights and replace them with the pajama pants. Once she was done changing, she moved up to the head of her bed and pulled her knees up, wincing a bit as the strain caused a slight pang of soreness in her stomach. She let out a long breath as she listened, making sure the guys were busy and distracted outside before finally letting the tears and tiny sobs of pain and fear leak out of her.

-- 

Kira walked out of the house and glanced around trying to find Conner. She spotted him in the distance, moving away from Jiao's house, his feet digging into the ground, propelling him forward. Kira sighed and followed him.

"Do you want me to drive the car, or would you rather just walk back to the house?" She called after him. Conner ignored her and just kept walking. Kira sighed, rolling her eyes. "Oh yes, Conner, run away. Just like you did when all this started right? You going to disappear and fall off the radar for another six years?" Conner froze at that before spinning back around to face her.

"Well, maybe I should," he snarled. "I mean, if I'm the only one who's taking this shit seriously."

"Really? You don't think that the rest of us are taking this seriously?" Kira shot back. Without waiting for an answer she spoke again. "We're all human Conner, we ALL make mistakes. Yes, we all realize that Jiao's could have been fatal, but she made a mistake!" She sighed. "Can't you just be glad that we got here in time and nothing worse happened?"

"Yeah, well what if we hadn't been in time?" Conner shot back. "What if the alarm system had been compromised by putting the new addresses in? Huh? We wouldn't have known anything was wrong and here Jiao would've been, utterly defenseless because she was too stupid to keep her morpher on!" He ran a hand through his hair. "That homicidal bastard has already gotten his belly full of ranger blood; I'm not going to let him have the satisfaction of killing anyone else." Kira threw her hands up in the air.

"I can't deal with you when you're like this." She glared at him. "Give me the keys, I'm driving back to the house, you can do whatever the hell you want to do." Conner gave her an incredulous look.

"It's my car," he replied.

"Fine, I'll walk!" She said, crossing her arms and storming past him. She had gotten a foot past him before spinning back to him. "Before I go, let me just say that the girl just got her morpher today, she probably didn't think to put it back on, or yes even forgot about it. We just took these three and totally changed their lives a few hours ago. They shouldn't be expected to be experts. They can make mistakes. Do I need to remind you that ten years ago when we first became rangers, you weren't exactly an expert yourself? None of us were, we made some mistakes. Sure Dr. Oliver wasn't exactly pleased all the time at our irresponsibility and lectured us, but he never did to any of us what you just did to Jiao." Conner was silent. Kira nodded. "Maybe you should think about that before you go off the deep end again." Conner sighed.

"Fine, maybe I expect too much from them," he admitted. "But Kira, this evil ranger and the Hawthorns, and whoever the hell their master is….They're not like Messogog, or the Tyranadrones…..or even Trent when he was evil……like you said, they're more ruthless. They'd kill anyone of us the first second they could." Kira nodded.

"I understand, Trent understands. But these guys don't," she reminded him. "All today, and everything leading up to it, was……..I don't know, us coming out of retirement. We've done this before, sure it's a little harder but we at least know somewhat what to do. They don't. This is all new to them and they've all had a hard day. You had no right to blow up like that."

"So what was I supposed to do? Pat her on the back and give her my congratulations that she didn't get killed?" He questioned, anger starting to seep back into his voice.

"Not like that," she said. "But maybe something like that. She faced the green ranger and two Hawthorns on her own until we got there, and yes she would've been safer had she had her morpher but more's the point, she survived. You could've at least acknowledged that." She ran her hand through her hair. "You could've showed some concern," Kira sighed. "The Conner I used to know…sure, might've been a bonehead at times, but he was conscious of others. But no, what did you do? You grabbed her arm, bleeding as injured as it was, and yelled at her like a little child." Conner looked away.

"Fine," he muttered. "I guess the fact that we didn't find her dead is….something to be thankful for and at least she was able to fight them off or whatever until help arrived…….." He hesitantly admitted. "But if she had her morpher she could've-"

"Conner," Kira said firmly. She sighed, closing her eyes briefly. "Let's just go home. I'm tired, and you need to work on the apology you'll be giving her tomorrow," she said. Conner opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Kira glaring at him. "And you **will **apologize, sincerely, not some snide remark or anything." Conner was silent for a few moments.

"Fine." he replied. He went to go to his car before looking back at her. "You coming?" He asked. Kira rolled her eyes and followed him. The two got in the car and drove back to the house, silently staring at the window and thinking to themselves. Once they pulled up to the house, Conner shut off the ignition and kept his hand on the wheel, staring at the windshield.

"Conner?" Kira gently asked, concerned that he showed no signs of moving.

"I…..I want to be that guy again, Kira," Conner finally said after a moment. He slowly looked over at her. "The guy from back in high school….before all this shit happened….I want to be that guy you first fell in love with." Kira reached over and took one of his hands in hers. "I just don't think I can," he said, shaking his head and looking back out the windshield. "It feels like that…….that was someone else……I don't know how to find my way back to him. This past year, being with Ethan and his family……..I thought I was pretty close to getting there, I felt happy even with all the stress…….but…….now……I just don't think it's possible…." Kira gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Well, good thing I'm here to help you find your way," she said. Conner let out a breath and slowly looked at their joined hands, his eyes focusing on the small paperclip 'ring' he had given her the day before.

"Kira, I…..Don't know if that person exists anymore," he admitted. "These past six years have been hard……I don't want to hurt you, or make you think things will be okay when they just might not be," he said softly.

"Conner," She said, looking at him. "Do you not think that I've given serious thoughts to us and what's happened? I know that you're not the same person anymore, but that doesn't mean that I don't love you." She replied. "If you go back to being that same carefree guy I knew ten years ago, great, but if you can't, that's good too. You're right, it is like two different people, who you were back then, and who you are now, and I fell in love with both." She sighed. "What I said before, abut the 'Conner I knew' being different………I just mean that……I don't want all these things to take away your warmth, Conner." She ran her thumb along the back of his hand. "That's one of the things in the old Conner and new Conner I love very much, and I'd hate to see it go." Conner looked up, staring at her eyes for a moment before slowly nodding.

"I love you, Kira," he said. Kira smiled and leaned over, catching his lips in a soft kiss.

"I love you too." She replied. They got out of the car and walked into the house. Kira held his hand and looked up at him. "Why don't you go on up to bed," she said softly, "I'll clean up the leftovers in the kitchen," she said. Conner nodded.

"Meet you there." He replied, kissing her cheek. Kira smiled and let go of his hands, watching him as he left to go upstairs. She turned around and went to the kitchen and began to deal with the plates and cartons of food from dinner. She was done in a few minutes, figuring to simply leave the dirty dishes in the sink for now and deal with them tomorrow. She went upstairs and walked into Conner's room, finding him already in his pajamas and in bed asleep. She smiled softly and quietly changed into the yellow nightshirt she had left in his room from the night before. Once she was changed, she slowly crept into bed next to him, careful not to wake him. She turned on her side and looked at him. He was sleeping on his side, his back facing her. Kira gently stroked his hair, before running her hand down to his shoulder.

"I'll help you find your old self again, Conner," she whispered. "I promise."


	14. Breakfast and Fights

The raising sun coming through Jiao's window woke her up the next morning. She sighed, opening her eyes as she slowly turned from her stomach to her side. She sighed again as she realized that a night of sleep hadn't done anything to alleviate the pain in her body. She slowly maneuvered herself towards the edge of the bed and put her feet down on the side. Jiao groaned as the flash of pain went up her legs as her feet touched the floor.

"I swear, next time I see little boy Green, he's gonna get it," she muttered to herself. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and summoned all the strength she could to get herself to stand up. "Ow! Son of a mother fucking bitch!" She yelped as set of more intense pains shot up her legs at her putting all her weight on her wounds, causing her knees to buckle beneath her. Her butt fell to the edge of her bed before slipping off and crashing to the floor. Two seconds later her bedroom door burst open as Hayden came in.

"You okay?" He asked. Jiao glared at him.

"Oh yes, I always greet the new day with a stream of curses," she replied. Hayden rolled his eyes and went over to where Jiao was sitting.

"Only you." He commented. He bent down and took hold of her wrist with one hand while the other snaked around her waist. "Put your weight on me," he said as he began to help her up. Jiao nodded and leaned against him as he helped her get back up on her bed.

"Thanks," she said before reaching over to her nightstand and grabbing her glasses and necklace and slipping both on.

"No problem." He replied. He sat down beside her. "So, how are you feeling?" He asked. Jiao shifted her eyes to him.

"Well, you felt the need to bust into my room like a firefighter in the towering inferno, so……….perfectly fine," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Is it at all possible for you to say a sentence that's not marinated in sarcasm?" Hayden said, shaking his head, amused. Jiao thought about it for a minute.

"No." She replied. Hayden sighed. "My stomach's feeling a little better," she said. "Now it just compares to having a teeth pulled without novacaine, as supposed to having a limb amputated without anesthesia. My arm's still sore, my head still hurts, and the still somewhat open wounds on my feet are pretty much debilitating," she finished her explanation with a sigh. "Satisfied?" Hayden just looked at her.

"Sure."

"So glad I could make your day," Jiao said. Hayden smiled.

"Do you need anything?" He asked. Jiao went to shake her head but realized she had no intention of experiencing the pain again even for the sake of her hesitation of accepting help.

"Yeah," she finally said. She pointed past him to a small grey leather book on the desk at the other end of the room. "Could you mind passing me my date book?" Hayden nodded and went to retrieve the requested item and handed it to her. Jiao scratched her head a bit before opening up the book to the day's date.

"What, got a hot date?" Hayden teased. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Just needed to double check something," she said. "Sweet," she said to herself before snapping the book shut. "Today's my day off from work," she explained.

"Well that's good." Hayden replied. He stood up. "You should probably have your bandages changed," he said.

"What's the point?" She asked. "I mean, they'll just get bloody and need to be changed again!"

"Uh, cause having bloody bandages is gross and not conducive in keeping your wounds clean?" Hayden offered, surprised by her outburst. Jiao was quiet.

"Fine." She said. Hayden sat back down next to her.

"What's up?" He asked. Jiao gave him an incredulous look. "I mean aside from being in whatever pain you're in, what's really going on?" He asked. Jiao looked away.

"Nothing," she said. Hayden looked at her, utterly unconvinced. Jiao sighed. "He was in my house," she said softly. "He was in my house and he wanted to kill me." Hayden frowned and put his hand on her shoulder.

"But you survived."

"I ran," Jiao muttered bitterly. "He appeared in my living room, busted up my TV, punched the side of my head and I ran, trying to hide in my room….but he got in, and had his buddies with him. I turned myself invisible and put a field up around Tybee and the first chance I got, I ran again."

"But you were able to get away from him... Jiao, you survived and that's the biggest part." Jiao sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"How'd he get in?" She asked. "I mean….How…..I didn't even know he was there……..I wouldn't have if he didn't have such a taste for the dramatics and shot my TV out. He could've snuck up behind me and slit my throat or something if he wanted to," she said, shuddering slightly under Hayden's touch.

"Well, thank god for his love for the dramatics then," Hayden replied, unsure what else to say. Jiao nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so." She replied. She looked at him, her expression changing back to her usual cold look. "I'd appreciate it if this conversation didn't find its way to additional ears," she said. Hayden nodded, taking his hand off her shoulder.

"Sure," he said. "It'll be our little secret," he said with a smile. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, Rainbow Brite," she muttered.

"Anything you say, My Little Pony." He replied.

"I told you, I ain't anyone's 'pony'," she grumbled. Hayden snickered and stood up, making his way to the door to get the supplies to change her bandages.

"Uh huh, all you need is a rider," he said, before grinning, catching the double meaning in the sentence. Jiao's eyes widened as she too caught it and grabbed one of the pillows on her bed and flung it at him. Hayden quickly ducked as the pillow came towards him and hit the person who was just about to walk into the room.

"Oomph!" Ryder exclaimed as he got a face full of pillow before the object fell at his feet as he stumbled back a bit, bracing himself against the doorframe so as not to fall over.

"Alright, note to self. Duck when entering Jiao's room." Ryder muttered. Hayden snickered.

"Morning Ryder," he said cheerfully. "We were just talking about you," he said. Ryder gave him a questioning look.

"No we weren't!" Jiao quickly insisted. Ryder looked at them both.

"I'm not sure if I should be curious, or not." He shrugged before looking at Jiao. "How are you feeling?" Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Peachy," she said, getting a little annoyed that she kept getting the same sort of question. Ryder nodded.

"I was just about to get some stuff to change her bandages," Hayden said. Ryder nodded again.

"Alright, I can stay here." He replied.

"I don't need a babysitter," Jiao growled. Ryder looked at her.

"Did I say you did?" He questioned.

"No, you don't need to. I'm telling you." She replied. She put her hand on her nightstand and used it to push herself up to her feet, almost faltering a bit at the pain but refusing to let herself fall down or show any sign of backing down. "I'm fine," she said.

"Right, and that's why you cursed like a sailor who just got a nasty letter from the health department not too long ago," Hayden said, rolling his eyes. "Sit back down."

"Yeah, who in this room is the boss of me?" She asked. "Certainly not you," she said.

"If you're so fine then why don't you let go of the nightstand?" Ryder challenged knowingly, seeing how she was pretty much putting all her weight on the piece of furniture.

"Because it's how I do things in the morning." She shot back. "I like leaning against furniture when I wake up, it's a great way to stretch the sleepy muscles," she said. Ryder snorted and walked over to her.

"Oh really?" He asked. Jiao watched him with a wary eye.

"Yes re-leeeeee!' She exclaimed as Ryder gently nudged her arm making her lose her balance on the nightstand and fall down, irritating her feet as she went down. "Ass!" She yelled at him.

"Oh sorry, I thought you were just stretching," Ryder said innocently. Jiao narrowed her eyes and quickly swung around, sweeping her leg under him, catching his calves with her ankle, effectively knocking him off balance and making him fall on his back.

"Whoa!" He yelled as he fell. Jiao grinned.

"My bad," she said, though no part of her tone indicated she regretted her actions. "Maybe next time you shouldn't disturb someone's stretching," she said with a shrug. She sighed and shifted around until her hands were on the edge of her bed and used it to pull herself up until she was sitting on the bed. She looked down as Ryder slowly got back up, her eyes focusing on a fresh spot of blood on the carpet. "Ass!" She snapped, throwing a glare at Ryder. "You made one of the cuts open up!" Ryder looked at her.

"I thought you were fine?" He questioned. Jiao tightened her jaw as she looked at him with barely contained fury.

"Get out," she growled, her eyes going to Hayden. "Both of you."

"Hey, what'd I do?" Hayden asked.

"Get out!" She shrieked. Hayden sighed and grabbed Ryder's shoulder, pulling him out with him. Once they were both out, he pulled the door shut before turning around and smacking Ryder upside the head.

"Thanks a lot, dumbass," he said. Ryder looked at him.

"What?"

"I was just getting her to be a little less bitchy and you go and undo everything," he said, rolling his eyes. "You really are an ass."

"I'm sorry?" Ryder questioned.

"What's going on?" They both heard Trent asked. They turned to the couch where the older man had been sleeping but was now stretching upwards, looking at them with bleary eyes.

"Jiao's being herself." Ryder replied grumpily. Hayden threw him a glare.

"Oh, and you had nothing to do with her getting pissed?" He challenged.

"Hey, if she would just admit that she was in pain, there wouldn't be a problem."

"She had admitted it," Hayden snapped. "When I went in there to check on her she told me what was hurting and what was feeling better, but you….well, I don't know what the hell that was….you sticking your nose where it wasn't needed or whatever, ruined it."

"I ruined what?" Ryder asked, rolling his eyes.

"Look, Jiao's obviously not too keen with suddenly having all of us in her life, not to mention her house, and when we were talking it looked like maybe she was starting to accept it…that's what you ruined, ya ass," Hayden replied as he stalked over and grabbed the first aid bucket.

"Yes, of course. Everything is now my fault!" Ryder claimed. Trent groaned and collapsed back on the couch.

"And Ethan thought people in their twenties would be easy to deal with," he muttered into the pillow.

"Shut up!" Came the collective reply. Trent sighed, wishing he'd gone back to the house. Suddenly hearing Conner rant didn't sound too bad.

--

Conner awoke to the smell of food cooking in the kitchen. Yawning and stretching, he threw the covers back and headed downstairs. He walked into the kitchen to find Kira, dressed in jeans and a yellow shirt, busily cooking enough bacon and eggs to feed an army.

"What are you doing?" Conner asked. Kira jumped slightly and turned around to face him.

"Oh, you're up," she said. She smiled. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Making enough food for an army, clearly." He replied. Kira rolled her eyes and turned back to the stove.

"I figured I'd take some breakfast over to the others," she explained.

"Ah." Conner replied.

"If you get dressed you can come with me," she said. "Maybe get that apology to Jiao out of the way," she said with a smile. Conner rolled his eyes.

"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked.

"Yes, I'd like that." She replied. Conner nodded.

"All right," he said. "I'll go get dressed." Kira smiled.

"Alright." She replied. Conner went back upstairs as Kira finished up cooking. She too two large serving bowls out from the cabinet and put the eggs in one and the bacon in the other before covering both bowls with plastic wrap. By the time she was done, Conner came back down dressed in jeans and a red t-shirt.

"Ready?" He asked. Kira nodded, picking up the bowl of eggs. "Grab the bacon, will you?" She asked. Conner nodded and grabbed the remaining bowl. They headed outside to Conner's car and climbed in. Kira took the bowl of bacon and placed it between her feet, the eggs sitting in her lap.

"I hope Jiao's feeling better," Kira commented as Conner started up the car. He simply nodded as he began the drive back to her house. Within minutes they arrived to Jiao's little home. Conner parked the car and took the bowl of eggs from Kira as he opened the door with his other hand. Kira bent down and grabbed the bacon before getting out herself. They walked up the porch step to the front door that, aside from a splintered dent near the bottom from when Ryder had kicked it in, seemed to have faired well after the attack the night before. Kira knocked on the door and waiting only a minute for the inside door flew open, Hayden standing there looking angry.

"Uh, hi," Conner said, caught off guard by his expression. He held up the bowl of eggs. "We brought breakfast," he said.

"Hurrah!" Hayden exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air and rolling his eyes at the same time. He turned around and walked away.

"Hey guys," Trent said as he came over to the door, he held the door open for them and let them walk in before shutting it behind them.

"Uh, hi?" Conner replied as they looked around the house. "What's going on?" He asked, taking note of the sour expressions on Ryder and Hayden's faces. Trent held up a hand.

"You don't want to know," he sighed.

"Cat fight?" Kira supplied. Trent rolled his eyes.

"How's Jiao?" Conner asked.

"Well, she _was_ doing a little better, until _someone _thought it'd be funny to knock her down and make one of the cuts on her foot open up," Hayden replied, which caused Ryder to glare at him.

"She's the one who said she was fine," Ryder said. Hayden ignored him and looked at Conner and Kira.

"And now she wants to be left alone. I tried going back in there to change her bandages but she threw a pillow at me and practically screeched for me to get out." Kira gently nudged Conner's side, he looked at her.

"Now might be a good time for that apology," she said.

"As long as she doesn't have any artillery heavier than a pillow," Conner said before handing the bowl of eggs to Trent as he and Kira made their way to the kitchen. Conner sighed and made his way to the bedroom. He lightly knocked on the door, waited a moment and then turned the knob, slowly opening the door. He jumped back and pulled the door shut as a pillow came flying across the room, barely missing his head.

"Whoa, she's got a bit of an arm," Conner muttered.

"Leave me alone, Hayden!" Jiao yelled from inside.

"It's Conner," Conner replied. He paused, waiting for a reply, when none came he figured all was well. He went to open the door again, only to quickly shut it again when a wooden keepsake box soared through the air like a heat seeking missile going for his head. "Whoa!" The box hit the doorframe, barely missing Conner's forehead, before falling to the floor. "What the hell!" Conner exclaimed. "What, did you run out of pillows?!"

"No, but I wanted to make sure that one hurt!" Jiao replied.

"Are you sure that you're all there upstairs? Really." He asked. Jiao didn't respond. Conner sighed. "I wanted to apologize," he said. There was silence for a moment. "Can I come in?"

"Not unless you want a hairbrush hurled at your forehead," came Jiao's reply. Conner groaned.

"Okay, I give up," he said. Kira, who by now had come out of the kitchen with Trent, looked at him with an amused expression.

"Well, you didn't think this would be easy, did you?" She asked.

"I was hoping." He muttered.

"It might've, if Nature Boy over there hadn't ticked her off," Hayden muttered.

"Shut up!" Ryder replied. Kira sighed and went over to the door, gently pushing Conner aside and knocking on the door.

"Jiao?" Kira asked gently. "It's Kira, can I come in?"

"Do whatever you want," came the reply. Kira sighed.

"Okay, can I be assured nothing will be hurled at my head if I do?" She asked.

"Why don't you come in and find out?" Came the snarky response.

"Yes, because I have idiot written across my forehead." Kira replied. Jiao didn't reply but the others could hear shuffling and slight groaning from inside before the door opened to reveal Jiao tightly gripping the doorknob.

"I like her, she can come in," she hissed pointedly to the guys, mainly Ryder and Conner before hobbling back to her bed. Kira cast a look back at the others before walking in, shutting the door behind her.

"You probably shouldn't be walking around," Kira said as Jiao sat back down on her bed. Kira sighed and looked down, noticing the small trail of blood that had followed her when she had made her way to the door.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize my mother had come for a visit," Jiao muttered. Kira sighed.

"Look, it's clear that sarcasm is your defense mechanism. But at this point it's going to get you nowhere. So you can either let me do what I'm about to do, or I'll leave and let you bleed to death. Either way, you're gonna have to suck it up eventually and realize that we're actually here to help you." Jiao looked at her.

"Fine," she relented. "But keep your boyfriend and the other bonehead far, far away from me." Kira smirked.

"And just so we're clear, who would the other bonehead be?"

"Tall, dark and asshole-ish," Jiao replied.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific," Kira said. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"The idiot who made my foot start bleeding again," Jiao barked, not in the mood for Kira's games. Kira nodded.

"Fine, but I have one condition." Jiao looked at her.

"What's that?" She questioned.

"Stop yelling at me." Jiao fixed her with a glare.

"Fine," she said, forcing her voice to stay at an even and normal level. "Is this more to your liking, madam?"

"Much," Kira nodded. "And don't call me madam," she said before turning back to the door and opening it slightly. "Could someone hand me the first aid kit, please?" She said. Jiao sat back and watched as someone from the other side of the door handed Kira the kit before she shut the door again and turned back to her. Kira went over and sat beside Jiao on the bed. "Here, let me take care of your arm first," she said. Jiao rolled her eyes and let Kira take her arm in her hands and slowly unwrap the gauze. "Ya know, I could do without the constant eye rolling too," Kira said. Jiao snorted.

"Jeez, now you really do sound like my mother," Jiao replied. Kira dropped Jiao's arm.

"Stop with the sarcasm Jiao. Do you really think that you're the only one who's had a rough time with all this? Two of my best friends are dead because of that psycho, and he nearly killed you, yet all you can do is bitch and moan. I'm not asking you to be Miss. Mary Sunshine, but cut the rest of us some slack!"

"Whatever," Jiao muttered, looking away. Kira glared at her.

"Right," she said, snatching Jiao's arm back without caring too much about being gentle. "I'm sure this all seems pretty trivial to you, us having to deal with losing people. You'd actually have to let someone in to be affected by losing them, wouldn't you?" Kira said as she dabbed at Jiao's arm with a cotton ball doused in rubbing alcohol. Jiao glared at her.

"You don't know me," she said. "Don't try to act as if you can make any judgments about me." Kira peered up at her.

"You're right. I don't know you, and you don't know me. But if you tried not being a total bitch for just five minutes, maybe we can remedy that," she said.

"Yeah, whatever, Miss Rock star wants to be my gal pal?" Jiao sneered.

"Miss Rock star would like to try at least. Look Jiao, I'm reaching out there. People only reach out so long before they stop."

"Then stop," Jiao replied with a small shrug. Kira stopped what she was doing and stared at her. "Look, the only reason you and the others are here is because I made the stupid mistake of listening to your bonehead boyfriend and showing up at the house, which was only followed by the even stupider mistake of touching this stupid thing," she said, looking at her gem. "We're not friends. We're just people thrown together by a series of unfortunate events." Kira stared at her for a moment longer before chuckling as she finished cleaning up the wound on Jiao's arm and began wrapping it with fresh gauze. "What's so funny?" Jiao asked.

"Nothing," Kira said. "It's just that….that's pretty much how I felt when Ethan, Conner and I first became rangers. I really had no interest in being their friend."

"Uh huh, but as you worked together you grew to tolerate one another until one day you realized they were your bestest friends, blah blah blah," Jiao said, rolling her eyes again. "Ow!" She yelped as Kira quickly tugged the gauze, making it painfully tight for a second.

"What did I say about the eye rolling and the sarcasm?" Kira said as she continued to tend to Jiao's arm. Jiao glared at her.

"Look, Rock star, this little dominant thing or whatever may work to keep your boy toy in line but if you do that again, trust me you will regret it," Jiao said.

"Oh really?" Kira said as she cut off a piece of medical tape to hold the gauze together on her arm.

"Yes, really," Jiao replied. "I'm not scared of you, I don't care if you are a more experienced ranger or whatever the hell else. I will not hesitate to kick your as—Ow!" Jiao shrieked after Kira poked at her wound. "Knock it off you crazy bitch!"

--

Outside the room, the four guys crowded around the door trying to listen into what was going on.

"Dude, what the hell is going on in there?" Hayden asked.

"Catfight?" Trent asked, shrugging. Conner looked at Trent.

"And since when does Kira do catfights?" He questioned. Trent thought about it for a moment.

"That time she and Tori fought when the Ninjas came to town?" He suggested.

"Yeah, evil former rangers don't count," Conner said, rolling his eyes. Ryder and Hayden shared a confused look before shrugging.

--

"Guess what," Kira said, looking at Jiao who was rubbing her sore arm. "Just as much as you're not scared of me, I'm not scared of you either, so remember that."

"Did you and Conner have a personality switch or something?" Jiao grumbled. "What happened to the chick who was in my corner last night?"

"She got fed up with your bullshit," Kira replied. Jiao was silent as Kira knelt down in front of her. "I'm gonna re-wrap your feet and put some new antibiotic on it." Kira commented. She got down to the floor when a sharp kick to her chin sent her flat on her back. "Ow!" She yelled. She quickly sat up, glaring at Jiao who was simply looking back at her with a smirk. The door opened as Conner and Trent walked in with Ryder and Hayden behind them.

"Okay, that's one too many 'ows'," Trent said. "What the hell is going on in here?" Kira and Jiao simply stared at each other, as if locked in a silent battle of wits.

"We're fine," Kira finally said. She looked back at the guys, giving them a smile. "Just engaging in some gal pal bonding. Why don't you guys go start eating breakfast and give us some more time to chat?" Conner and Trent looked at each other.

"Alright, but just give us a call if you need us." Conner replied as they headed out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Kira shot a glance at Jiao.

"What the hell was that?" She demanded. Jiao shrugged.

"Same thing as this." She replied, her foot connecting with Kira's cheek, sending her face-first into the nightstand. Kira grunted as she was momentarily dazed by the impact before shaking her head and glaring at Jiao. Before Jiao had a chance to try and kick her again, Kira grabbed her ankle and twisted it, causing Jiao to roll over until she fell off the bed with a yelp.

"I was trying to be nice, but if you really want a butt kicking, I'll be happy to oblige," Kira huffed as she wiped at the small trickle of blood coming from her newly split lip. The door burst back open, reveling Conner and Hayden standing there. They quickly took inventory of the situation.

"Uh, okay Kira, when I gave you the first aid kit, it was so you'd take care of her wounds, not create more," Hayden said.

"Yeah well I wasn't really expecting to be attacked when I came in here." Kira replied, wiping her lip again.

"You started it," Jiao huffed as she pushed herself up to a sitting position. "Poking someone's wound isn't exactly an act of peace."

"Well treating someone like dirt when they're trying to reach out and help you isn't exactly nice either." Kira shot back.

"I don't need any help," Jiao growled. Kira shook her head.

"Then why'd you let me come in here? You obviously wanted help," Kira pointed out.

"Figured I had an ally against those four boneheads," Jiao said. "But if you're going to be pushy you can just go."

"How the hell is trying to extend a friendly hand being pushy!" Kira exclaimed.

"Whatever, just go, I can take care of myself," Jiao said as she pulled herself back up on her bed and brought her right ankle up to her left knee and began unwrapping the bandages from her foot. Kira threw up her hands and pushed herself up from the floor.

"Whatever." She replied, leaving the room. Jiao looked up and glared at Hayden and Conner.

"You two can leave too," she barked.

"Well, how thoughtful, your majesty." Conner snapped back. Jiao narrowed her eyes.

"You know, this _is _my house, I have full right to kick you out," she replied.

"Jiao, come on, we're just trying to help," Hayden sighed.

"No one asked you to," Jiao shot back. Conner shook his head and put a hand on Hayden's shoulder.

"We'll be in the kitchen eating breakfast," he said to her before pulling Hayden out with him. Jiao rolled her eyes. She reverted her attention back to her foot and cleaned up the cut with the alcohol. She picked up the roll of gauze to rewrap her foot when the roll fell out of her hand and rolled to the door.

"Fuck," Jiao muttered. She sighed and put her elbows on her lap, burying her face in her hands. She let out a breath, biting the inside of her cheek as she felt a lump growing in her throat. She took in a shuddering breath as tears entered her eyes.

"Ask for help," she heard someone say.

"Go away," Jiao replied, not bothering to look up.

"You have two choices here," the voice replied. "You can either continue being stubborn and, what, crawl to the gauze? Or, you could apologize and ask for help." Jiao looked up, her eyes narrowing at the sight of Kira leaning against the doorframe, with her arms crossed over her chest.

"What are you, a masochist?" Jiao said, not understanding why she'd come back.

"No, just stubborn like you, I guess," she replied.

"I am not stubborn," Jiao snapped, quickly wiping away at any escaping tears. Kira sighed and walked into the room, shutting the door and leaning against it.

"Uh huh," she said, unconvinced. Jiao sighed.

"Fine, since you're here, pass me the gauze," Jiao said. Kira chuckled.

"Are you asking for help?" Kira asked. Jiao was quiet. Kira shrugged. "I can wait all day," she said.

"Smug is not an attractive look this season," Jiao growled.

"And neither is bitch," Kira shot back without missing a beat. Kira sighed, crossing her arms. "All you have to do is apologize and ask me to help you…….and promise to behave yourself," Kira added. "I'll wrap up your feet and we can go enjoy the nice breakfast I spent so much time preparing for us all."

"Why don't you just go and eat with the others?" Jiao replied.

"Like I said, I'm stubborn," Kira smirked.

"So, what, you're not going to leave until I do what you want?" Jiao said, quirking an eyebrow. Kira shrugged.

"Hey, I don't have a job or any thing else to do," she said. "So, what's it going to be? Will I be needing a change of address card made out for your bedroom or are you going to work with me?" Jiao crossed her arms.

"Fine," she muttered. Kira shook her head.

"Uh uh, I'm going to need the actual words here," Kira said. Jiao closed her eyes. She felt like she was being made a fool of and she couldn't stand it.

"Fine, help me," she growled.

"I do believe I also asked for an apology," Kira replied. "And a please, not to mention a nicer tone, would be nice," Kira said. Jiao glared at her.

"A bit demanding, aren't you?" She said. She tightened her jaw. "I can be just as stubborn as you, lady," she said.

"I'm not the one with the bleeding foot, do you really want to try and get into a battle of wills here?" Kira asked smugly. Kira sighed, as much as she wanted to get through to this girl; even she was realizing forcing it like this might work against her in the long run. "Fine," she said. "You've got ten more seconds, and then I'm leaving," she said. She turned to the door, her hand going to the knob. "10……..9………..8………7………6……5……..4…..3-"

"I'm sorry," Jiao finally said. Kira stopped, waiting for her to continue. She heard Jiao sigh. "Could you please help me?" Kira smiled and turned around.

"Was that so hard?" She asked. Jiao closed her eyes, rolling them beneath the lids.

"Guess it'd be too much to ask for you not to gloat," she muttered.

"Yes, it would," Kira chuckled. She bent down and picked up the gauze. "I'm sorry too by the way," she said as she stood up and went to kneel down, before remembering what happened the last time. She looked at Jiao. "Now, I should tell you that if you kick me again, I will be forced to hurt you."

"Fine," Jiao said. "And I should tell you if you start going off about how we should all be bestest bestest friends again, I'll be forced to kick you," she said.

"Fair enough," Kira nodded before getting down to the floor. "For now at least," she said. Jiao shook her head.

"Whatever," she said.

--

Outside the door, Hayden looked at Conner with a dumbfounded expression after overhearing what just happened.

"What just happened?" He asked. Conner chuckled and shook his head.

"That, I believe is just a small taste of the hell we will be witnesses to due to having two alpha females on the same team and constantly butting heads," he mused.

"…..And that," Hayden said, tilting his head to the door indicating he referred to the semblance of peace on the other side, "would be what? The calm before the storm?"

"Pretty much," Conner replied.

"Well...this is going to be interesting?" Hayden said. Conner sighed.

"Come on, lets go eat," he said, leading the way back to the kitchen.

--

Back inside the room, both Jiao and Kira were silent as Kira tended to both Jiao's feet. Once Kira was done wrapping fresh bandages on both feet, she stood up and sat beside Jiao.

"All right, done," she said.

"Great," Jiao said, going to get up, only to be stopped by Kira. Jiao groaned. "What now? Are you going to force a thank you out of me?"

"The thought did occur to me," Kira replied, "but no," she said.

"Okay, then what do you want?"

"An explanation," Kira replied.

"To?" Jiao asked. "Mysteries of the universe? Why grass is green? What?"

"I think I'll settle for what's the deal with your attitude for now, thanks," Kira replied. Jiao sighed and leaned back until her back was resting on her bed.

"There's no explanation," Jiao replied.

"Bull," Kira said.

"Well where should I start? Firstly, I have all this thrusted upon me, followed by two psychotic teammates and three crazy former rangers trying to mentor me. Then, on top of all that wonderful junk, I have some fucker trying to kill me... And you wonder why I have an attitude!?" Jiao lashed out. Kira sat back and took her outburst in, thoughtfully crossing her arms.

"I see," she said. Jiao blinked a moment before glaring at her.

"_I see_? That's all you have to say?" Jiao hissed.

"What would you like me to say?" Kira replied. "Do you want me to say it's going to get better? Easier?" Jiao sighed and looked away. "I can't promise you that," Kira stated honestly. "Sure, ten years ago when I was first a ranger, things _felt _easier once I got used to all the changes and trusted my new friends and teammates. But does it really get easier? That's hard to say. Fighting supernatural freaks is never easy, no matter how used to it you might get. And this new guy…..he's nothing like what I faced before. You yourself saw how ruthless these bad guys can be." Kira replied. Jiao was quiet for a minute.

"I guess... I'm not a people person to begin with, so all of this has just thrown me for a complete loop." She commented.

"I understand," Kira said. "I-" Kira was cut off by Jiao throwing her a look.

"And if you try to say you were once the same way, or anything of the sort, I will be forced to kick you again," she said. Kira chuckled.

"Fair enough," she said. She shrugged. "But come on, I'm sure you're not all that bad……I mean there has to be at least someone who you're close to, you can't be a total loner."

"I prefer the term independent," Jiao replied. Kira rolled her eyes.

"You close to your parents?" She asked, the snort from Jiao was enough answer for that. "…….okay then," Kira said. She titled her head as she caught sight of the necklace around Jiao's neck. "How about whoever gave you that?" She said, pointing to the pink pendant. Jiao placed her hand on the necklace and looked down.

"My Lao Lao," Jiao muttered. She caught Kira's blank expression and sighed "that'd be Chinese for maternal grandmother," she muttered, rolling her eyes. Kira narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, because see it temporarily slipped my mind that I'm fluent in Chinese." Kira snapped. Jiao simply rolled her eyes again.

"Sorry," she muttered, shrugging. "Used to dealing with folks who are, I guess."

"Ah so you are close to someone, then?" Kira prodded. Jiao sighed.

"Fine, yes," she said. "Jeez, it's like a dog with a bone with you. You don't let things go," she muttered. Kira grinned.

"Well?" Kira said, Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Yes, my grandmother and I were close," Jiao replied. Kira's grin faltered.

"Were?" She asked.

"She died five years ago."

"Oh," was all Kira said.

"And yeah……I guess I'm close to my older brother…….and his wife, by association…….guess if he married her she's not a total toad……and….." Jiao paused.

"And, what?" Kira asked. Jiao shrugged.

"Just some guy back home. We grew up together since his dad and my mom owned the medical practice together and all that……he wasn't a total pain in the ass, so I guess we were close," she said with another shrug. Kira smirked.

"How close is close?" She teased. Jiao threw her a glare.

"I must've kicked you really hard if you're under the delusion that we're friends and you're privy to that sort of information," Jiao said. Kira shrugged.

"There's no harm in asking." She replied.

"How close are you and the bonehead?" Jiao countered, mocking Kira's previous teasing tone. "It's not exactly a polite question, now is it?" Jiao said.

"Something tells me you don't exactly spend too much of your time worrying about what's polite or not," Kira laughed. "And, in the spirit of showing _I'm _making an effort here, if you must know, **Conner **and I are…." She paused a moment, giving a look at the paper clip ring on her finger. She wasn't sure if calling him her fiancé was appropriate yet since technically they were "pre-engaged" but just calling him her boyfriend seemed like an understatement. "Together," she finally said.

"Together... Well how descriptive." Jiao replied snarkily. Kira narrowed her eyes.

"I don't see you being descriptive about you and…." She trailed off, expecting Jiao to supplement a name, when she saw Jiao made no move to speak she rolled her eyes, "whomever this one friend of yours is," she said.

"Well that's because I don't feel the need to make an effort," Jiao smirked.

"You're impossible, you know that?" Kira sighed. Jiao grinned.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," she said. Kira just rolled her eyes. "His name's Byron by the way," she muttered after a moment. Kira nodded.

"See, was that so hard?" She asked. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"You just love to gloat, don't you?" Jiao asked.

"Not often, but when I do...I enjoy it." Kira replied.

"Yeah, well just so you know, it's a surefire way to get yourself kicked again," Jiao said. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you just give me a list of all the things that won't get me kicked, I figure that'll be shorter, huh?" Kira said. Jiao chuckled.

"Everything has the chance of getting you kicked," Jiao informed. There was a knock on the door before it opened as Trent poked his head in.

"Hey you two, you should probably come and get some breakfast before Conner and Ryder leave nothing but bacon bits," he advised. Kira laughed.

"We'll be out in a minute," she said. Trent nodded and backed out of the room, shutting the door as he left.

"I'm not all that hungry," Jiao said. Kira looked at her.

"After that hellish night, you need a good meal," Kira said. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry; did my mother just possess your body or something?" Jiao muttered. "I'm not hungry." Kira sighed and stood up.

"You can either get up and I'll help you walk out to the kitchen, or I'll get one of the guys to carry you," Kira said in a no nonsense tone. Jiao's mouth fell open.

"You wouldn't," Jiao said. Kira smirked.

"Do you really want to underestimate me?" Kira asked. Jiao was silent for a moment.

"Fine." She agreed. She sat up and slowly rose to her feet. Kira took hold of her arm and let Jiao put her weight on her so as not to put all of it on her feet.

"Small, slow steps, okay?" Kira said.

"Yeah, yeah," Jiao grumbled. Kira simply smiled as the two slowly made their way out of the room and to the kitchen.

"If you guys ate all the food, I will be forced to hurt you," Kira called as they walked into the kitchen.

"We made sure to leave you guys some stuff," Conner smiled.

"Yeah, more like I made sure piggy and piggier over here didn't scarf everything down," Hayden quipped, looking at Conner and Ryder.

"Hey, nothing wrong with having an appetite," Ryder shrugged. "Some of us didn't exactly eat much last night," he looked over at Jiao as Kira helped her into the chair Trent had vacated. "Your fridge wasn't as stocked as you implied last night," he said. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry, I'll remember to go grocery shopping the next time I have moochers unexpectedly and unceremoniously dumped on my lap," she said. Hayden grinned.

"Awesome!" He replied happily. Jiao threw him a glare before Kira slid a plate filled with food in front of her.

"Eat now, give snarky reply later," Kira said with an amused expression. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Yes, mom," she replied sarcastically. Kira gave her a look.

"You can stop with the mom jokes, I'm not that much older than you," Kira said.

"Yes, but your still older." Hayden quipped. This got him a swift smack upside the head from Conner who was beside him.

"We prefer the term 'more experienced'," he warned.

"Experienced in what though?" Ryder commented, barely hiding a smirk. Conner gave a brief look to the young man at the other side of him.

"Life," Conner replied.

"Right…which you guys have because you're old," Hayden smirked before going into a round of chuckles which Ryder joined in on. This got them both on the receiving ends of smacks upside the head as Conner got them both at the same time.

"It's like watching the Three Stooges," Jiao muttered, shaking her head. Kira grinned.

"Yet somewhat less intelligent." She muttered.

"Hey!" Ryder, Hayden and Conner both yelled in offended unison. Trent, Kira and Jiao burst into a fit of giggles over the outburst. Conner narrowed his eyes at Trent.

"Dude, show some solidarity to your gender, man," he said, which only made Jiao giggle harder.

"Did you really just use 'dude' and 'man' in the same sentence?" She asked.

"Its something that only Conner could get away with." Kira replied.

"What's next? Going to put in some other outdated phrases like 'whazzup' or something?" Jiao said, snorting through her giggles.

"….Dude and Man are timeless," Conner grumbled.

"Uh huh, sure," Jiao laughed. Trent just rolled his eyes.

"Come on everyone, dig in."


	15. Crashing Down

Some days passed and the team was slowly growing to work together. Conner had been able to successfully apologize to Jiao without her throwing anything at his head, which, even with her snide attitude as she accepted the apology, he figured no head injury was enough of a success. Ryder had attempted to apologize for his behavior the other morning but had not met with the same fortune as Conner. Every time he tried she'd either walk away, conveniently remember she had to do something, or bite his head off. Ryder figured it was in his best interest to give up.

As it was, Jiao wasn't in the best of spirits. Through there had been some attacks on the city from the Hawthorns, she had been advised to stay out of any frays until her injuries—especially those on the bottoms of her feet—healed up. As it was, walking too much or standing for long periods of time were not on her list of fun things to do. Kira and Trent worked hard to maintain a somewhat normal level of balance within the house, while trying to stay out of the drama themselves. Luckily for Kira, she was able to at least mildly appease Jiao's dissatisfaction over staying out of the action by suggesting she tweak with Ethan's established computer systems to put communicator plans into motion. Jiao took to the task with the enthusiasm of a computer geek as well as that of someone who'd already seen what facing the enemy alone was like and how beneficial a communication system would be.

In all the craziness; Kira, as well as Hayden somehow, had been the only ones who didn't walk a tight rope in staying away from Jiao's bad side-a side that was ever present if one were to ask the others, especially Ryder—though she wasn't incredibly friendly, she at least didn't mind their presence when either of the two of them went down to see how she was fairing with the equipment, or in Hayden's case, just keeping her company.

"How's it going?" Kira asked as she entered the basement lab. She had a plate holding a sandwich in one hand and a glass of soda in the other. Jiao was seated at the large main computer, her eyes trained on the big screen. Hayden was seated not to far from her, leaning against the console as he munched on a bag of chips. Kira noticed that Jiao's shoulders seemed to tense at every crunching sound coming from his mouth.

"It'd go a lot faster if I was left alone," Jiao sighed. Kira walked over so she was standing by Jiao's shoulder and held the plate down so it was at the pink ranger's peripheral vision. Jiao stared at the plate from the corner of her eye. "If you're going to eat that, mind doing it upstairs? Something tells me getting crumbs on Mr. James keyboard would have him rolling over in his g-" She stopped and cleared her throat. "Okay that was bordering on insensitive, sorry," she muttered. Kira nodded. Since pretty much being forced into somewhat socializing with the others, Jiao had been made an effort to be less abrasive….well, to some people. Kira was somehow part of the privileged few. She figured it had to do with her being the only other woman on the team and needing to play nice out of some sense of female solidarity.

"It's not for me," Kira said, figuring not to comment on Jiao's comment about Ethan.

"Okay well, I think sporto over there is filling up on his chips…which he's chewing _loudly_," she commented pointedly.

"Not for him either," Kira stated.

"Well there's nobody else here." Jiao commented.

"Wow, for a computer genius you're really dense," Hayden said around a mouthful of chips.

"Alright, dude, seriously it's either eat or talk, they're not to be done at the same time," Jiao snapped. Hayden raised his eyebrows.

"Someone's touchy." He muttered under his breath.

"All the more reason why someone needs to take a break and eat something," Kira said. Jiao shook her head.

"Not hungry," she replied.

"C'mon, you haven't eaten anything since you got here, and that was five hours ago," Kira insisted. "I don't think Ethan would like someone passing out from hunger on his keyboard." Jiao sighed and finally turned to look at Kira.

"Fine, if it'll shut you up, I'll eat," she said. She went to grab the sandwich, only to have Kira move the plate away.

"Uh uh uh, not by the computer," she smirked. Jiao narrowed her eyes. "Come on, I'm sure your eyes could use the break as it is," she coaxed. Jiao groaned and rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger.

"How exactly do you expect the communications system to get up and running like this?" She asked.

"Well, I don't expect it to get up and running at the expense of a member of the team," Kira countered.

"Oh, I'm a member of the team? I almost forgot," Jiao grumbled. Kira sighed.

"Yes, you are. You're a member who's recovering. And tirelessly working and giving yourself eyes strain isn't going to help your recovering or get you out in the action any time sooner," Kira pointed out. Jiao sighed and looked at her, finally seeing she herself had no leg to stand on.

"Fine," she finally relented.

"Good," Kira smiled. She went to set the plate down at the work bench across the room before thinking better of it. "Why don't you come upstairs and join the rest of us? Being sequestered down here isn't good for you," Kira stated. Jiao smirked.

"You're drawing the Morlock out? Not worried I'll decide to feast on you and the rest of the Elois?" She asked. Kira gave her a confused look.

"H.G. Wells," Hayden piped in. Jiao looked at him. "What? I read Time Machine last semester," he paused as Jiao's look became skeptical. "….Okay I was _supposed_ to read it….but I did pay attention during the class discussions," he added. Jiao chuckled and shook her head.

"Okay then," Kira said, changing the subject back to getting Jiao upstairs. "Come on, eat in the kitchen like a normal human being," she smiled. Jiao rolled her eyes and stood up.

"After I eat, can I return to my sanctum?" Jiao questioned as they moved towards the stairs.

"Jeez, you make it sound like the upper level of the house is enemy territory or something," Hayden commented as he stood up and followed them.

"Well, that all depends on whom else is upstairs," Jiao smartly replied.

"You'll be fine." Kira commented as she rolled her eyes. The three made it up the stairs and entered the kitchen. Kira set the plate and glass down on the table and gestured for Jiao to have a seat. Giving the older female a glare, the pink ranger obliged begrudgingly and sat. Just as she picked up the sandwich and went to take a bite, Ryder walked into the room.

"Oh my god, Jiao's actually took a break from staring at the computer like some zombie?" He jokingly commented as Jiao bit into her sandwich. Jiao gave him a steely glare as she slowly chewed.

"Don't antagonize her." Hayden warned as he dropped himself into a chair across from her. "She thinks you're the enemy." Ryder snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, was just making an observation," he innocently commented. Jiao took a sip of her soda after swallowing her bite of sandwich.

"Well, no one asked you to observe anything. So why don't you just turn around and leave me to eat in peace? Last thing I need is you causing me indigestion," she grumbled as she took another bite. He frowned slightly, a wave of hurt rolling over him as her comment stung.

"Right," was his short reply before moving back towards the kitchen door. Kira and Hayden shared a look over Jiao's shoulder.

"You know, that wasn't very nice," Kira commented. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Hey, if I wanted to hear someone lecturing me on manners, I'd call my mother," Jiao mumbled between the food in her mouth.

"Can I ask you something?" Hayden questioned abruptly, talking to Jiao. "Without you getting mad or defensive?" Jiao swallowed her food and looked at him.

"Well where's the fun in that?" She snarkily replied. Hayden gave her an annoyed look.

"Seriously," he requested. Jiao shook her head.

"No deal. People only say that when they know whatever they're thinking is bound to piss the person off. So, just ask what you want to ask, and be prepared for the consequences."

"Alright," he shrugged as he began to play with the empty bottle of water he had brought up with them a few minutes prior. "What's with the abrasive nature?" Hayden finally spoke after a few moments.

"I'm not abrasive," Jiao coolly stated. "I'm unique, and outspoken." Kira snorted.

"If by 'unique and outspoken' you mean closely resembling what one would call 'bitchy', then yes." She commented as she pulled out a package of chicken from the freezer. It was her turn to cook dinner that evening.

"Nobody asked you." Jiao snapped defensively. Kira sighed and shook her head. "Hey, if you guys were looking for a bright and shiny nimrod with a rainbow shoved up her ass, then I'm sorry to disappoint but that's not me."

"Well that's for sure," Hayden murmured.

"Bite me asshat." Came her snappy remark before biting into her sandwich again. "God, you people wonder why it is I prefer working down stairs, _on my own_," she grumbled around her food.

"It's either eat or talk, they're not meant to be done at the same time," Hayden commented, using her previous line about him and his chips downstairs.

"Unless you've perfected it over the years." Conner commented as he moved into the kitchen.

"Oi, now what, all three of you are going to gang up on me?" Jiao grumbled as she swallowed her food. Conner raised his eyebrows.

"Uh….don't know what's going on here, didn't realize I was walking in the middle of a war zone."

"Sure you didn't." The younger female retorted. "Who planned this one?" Her gaze flicked over Hayden, then to Conner, before resting on Kira. "The other two aren't exactly the brains of the operations, so it must have been you." Jiao commented, her eyes narrowing.

"I'm not sure whether or not I should be insulted here," Kira commented. "Look, there was no concocted plan or anything. Is it such a terrible thing that we don't want you spending all your time sequestered in the basement like some hermit? And is it so terrible that maybe we'd like to actually function like a team, not five people and one stick in the mud who acts like she couldn't be bothered with any one of us?"

"Hey, if I'm such a bother, then I can just leave," Jiao stated as she stood up. "Have fun figuring out the communicating system schematics on your own," she icily added.

"You're not a bother." Conner commented, hoping to defuse the situation. "Maybe it's just... That we don't understand." He shrugged.

"Believe me, there's not a whole lot to understand," Jiao said, rolling her eyes. "You're the ones making this out to be like some Dr. Phil special or something."

"We're not trying to make it seem like that." Conner shook his head.

"Then drop it," she growled.

"Whatever." Conner replied with a shrug of his shoulder. "How's the communication system coming?"

"Well like I told your girlfriend, it'd be going a lot better if people would quit bugging me," Jiao commented. She sighed and tiredly rubbed her face. "Whatever, you all were so keen on me taking a break, I'll take one. Need some fresh air anyway," she muttered as she brushed past Conner and left the kitchen. "And don't anyone of you follow me!" The three heard her yell to the kitchen, followed by the front door slamming.

"Cheerful." Kira commented in a clipped tone as she pulled some potatoes out of the crisper in the fridge.

Outside, Jiao blew out a sharp annoyed breath as she clenched her fists. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out a few times to calm herself. Once her anger passed, she stepped off the porch and moved to the side of the house, fishing her car keys out of her pocket. She wasn't sure where she wanted to go; she just knew she needed to get away for some time. These thoughts came to a screeching halt however, when she made it to the driveway and saw her hood propped open and a certain someone fussing with the inside.

"What the hell are you doing to my car?" She loudly demanded as she sprinted towards 'Shirley'.

"Ow!" Ryder exclaimed. Her screech had caused him to jump slightly and bang the back of his head on the hood. He ducked out from under the hood and stood up straight, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head.

"Consider that karma for screwing with my vehicle," Jiao snapped. "What, got pissy and figured messing with my brakes would be adequate payback?" She accused. Ryder stared at her for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head. "What's so funny?" Jiao snarled.

"You, and your obvious lack of car knowledge. If I was messing with your brakes, I'd need to be underneath it," he pointed out.

"Whatever." She replied, waving her hand. "Still didn't answer my question of what the hell are you doing to my car?"

"Whoa, whoa, chill out Pinky,' Ryder commented, only to have Jiao's glare intensify. "I mean..Jiao-jie," he amended. He sighed and shrugged. "I've heard you mention to the others how your car has some issues….figured I'd take a look at it."

"Right…" Jiao drawled, unconvinced.

"I work in my dad's auto shop," Ryder explained, rolling his eyes. "Thought I'd be _nice _and see what could possibly be giving you problems. Did you know your solenoid is pretty much destroyed?" Jiao's brow furrowed, clearly stating she had no knowledge of this. "Oh, and you're in desperate need of an oil change. And, I'm not 100 percent sure, but I think you've been pumping her up with the wrong kind of gas."

"You can tell that just by having the hood open for not even ten minutes?" She countered.

"I'm very good at my job," he replied with a cocky smirk. "And plus, a lot of it was just stuff I was pretty sure of, just needed to check. Wrecked solenoid is most likely what's causing your car to sound like a shoot out and the OK Corral. Oil would be the problem with the stalling issues you've had, and lastly, you use the wrong kind of gas…it destroys your engine, giving it a lot of the coated mess you can see right there," he said, gesturing to the engine block.

"Ah." Came her comment after a few minutes.

"I take it you bought this car used," Ryder commented. Jiao simply nodded. He shook his head. "How someone could sell this gorgeous thing to someone who clearly knows nothing about car maintenance is a crime," he muttered as he lowered the hood. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. So what, all this was just out of the goodness of your heart, or do you take a kick out of pointing out people's lack of car expertise?" She sneered. Ryder shrugged.

"Just being nice," he replied. "And I figured this way you'd feel at least somewhat guilty about being Miss Ice Queen whenever I come within twenty feet of you," he added, the cocky smirk back on his face.

"Hmm, fat chance," Jiao replied in a mock sweet tone. Shrugging, Ryder slammed the hood of the car shut.

"Didn't think so."

"Good," Jiao replied.

"You know," Ryder idly commented. "My dad's shop deals with this kind of work a lot. I could see about getting a discount….for a friend." Jiao snorted.

"Wow, you people just don't give up," she muttered.

"Huh?" He commented. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Forget it," she dismissively replied. Ryder raised his eyebrow slightly before shrugging.

"Okay." he agreed. Jiao leaned her hip against her car.

"So…" She began, her tone disinterested, "I guess I should say thanks or whatever," she mumbled.

"You don't have to... But it would be nice," came his quiet reply. Jiao sighed and looked off to the distance and shrugged.

"Fine, thanks, whatever," she quickly and quietly mumbled.

"You're welcome." Ryder replied softly. Jiao felt her cheeks involuntarily grow hot in an intense blush. She quickly lowered her head to hide her face and nonchalantly adjusted her glasses as she cleared her throat.

"So…the whole gas thing….what am I supposed to be using?" She asked. "You know, so I know what to do to stop damaging the car…and all that."

"It'd probably be wise to use a higher grade of unleaded," was his recommendation. "It'll help to clean your engine out and keep it running smoothly." Jiao nodded.

"Alright then," she replied. "I'm gonna head back inside." She continued before turning slightly. "Thanks again." Came her very soft comment before she moved out of the garage.

"No problem," Ryder called out after her as she walked away. Jiao moved back into the house quickly and kicked off her shoes as she closed the door behind her.

"Oh hey, I was just coming to tell you I was heading downstairs." Conner commented as he moved out of the living room. "I'm assuming you're going back down there?"

"Yeah," Jiao replied, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Conner regarded her for a moment.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Huh?" Jiao asked.

"Your face, it's all flushed. Are you okay?" He reiterated. Jiao raised her eyebrows and quickly nodded.

"Oh right, yeah…no, I'm fine. Just…uh…" She shrugged. "It's hot out," she lamely stated.

"That it is." Conner acknowledge, still not convinced of her excuse. "Let's head down." Jiao nodded and followed Conner down to the basement. As they hit the bottom of the stairs, Jiao moved over to the small mini-fridge and grabbed a cold bottle of water as Conner approached the console.

"So, how are you finding navigating through Ethan's system?" Conner asked. Jiao shrugged as she took a sip of water.

"It's okay. I mean, there's some mouse in a maze moments with all his firewalls, but it's no biggie," she replied. Conner nodded. He looked over the console, stopping momentarily as a slip of folded paper wedged between the corner and the wall caught his eye.

"Did you drop something?" He asked as Jiao moved over to join him.

"Huh?" She asked. Conner leaned over and picked the paper up, holding it up to her as she came to a stop beside him. She made a confused face and shook her head. "That's not mine," she replied.

"Strange." He murmured before he began to unfold it. Conner's breath hitched in his throat, his eyes going wide. "Oh my god..." Conner breathed as his hands clenched around the piece of paper.

"What is it?" Jiao asked, concerned.

"It's a note..." Conner trailed off, struggling to form his words.

"What's it…what does it say?" Jiao asked, growing increasingly uneasy by the look on Conner's face. Wordlessly, Conner handed over the piece of paper to her, and Jiao began to read.

_'Rangers, clearly you thought that you'd be safe in your fortress. You were wrong. I'm going to give you one final warning. Stay away and do not try to protect or defend. If you ignore this, I will destroy everything and everyone in this pathetic city. No one will be safe, and the causalities will be high.'_ It was signed with a simple, thick green G at the bottom.

"Oh god," Jiao murmured, her eyes growing wide. "This…ho…how did he get in here?" She thought aloud. She quickly scrambled over to the computer monitor on the console and typed up the security protocols. "I don't get it…this doesn't make sense..."

"You're telling me." Conner murmured, his head still trying to grasp at the same thoughts. Jiao's fingers flew over the keyboard, her eyes scrolling over the computer screen as set after set of code reflected off of her glasses. Conner stood back and watched her work, feeling even more uneasy when he heard the clicking on the keyboard stop.

"Oh no…" She murmured.

"What 'oh no'?" Conner demanded, coming up behind her to look at the screen. All he could make out was more code and algorithms. "What 'oh no'?" He asked again, grabbing her shoulder. Jiao looked up at him, her face full of remorse and consternation.

"It's my fault," she quietly replied. "I….I think I…accidentally chipped Ethan's security firewall when I was working on the communicating system."

"Uh oh." Conner agreed after a pause. Running his hands over his face and sighing slightly he shook his head. "Don't blame yourself Jiao... It could have happened to anyone."

"You guys maybe," she blurted out. "I should've known better," she chastised herself before turning back to the screen. "I should've realized that going through the system and working through the blocks would've effect everything else." She sighed sharply. "It's like a balancing act. Or a game of jenga or something. Any change in the structure has the potential to cause damage, even bring the whole system down."

"Is that what happened?" Conner asked, worried. "The system's down." Jiao shook her head.

"No, and that's the good news," Jiao muttered, her fingers coming to life once again on the keyboard. "It wasn't an entire crack to the structure. But, unfortunately, it was enough to give our little friend a window."

"Can it be repaired?" Conner questioned.

"Yeah," Jiao replied. She sighed. "I'm going to have to go through the entire system and rebalance everything, also make sure there aren't any other cracks." She leaned back and took her glasses off, rubbing her eyes with her thumb and forefinger with the other hand. "Damn it!" She exclaimed. "This pretty much means the whole communication aspect….forget 'square one'; we're back to the first angle that makes up square one."

"Hey." Conner commented, drawing her attention away. "It's going to be okay." Carefully, he placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. Jiao sighed and continued rubbing her face as she attempted to calm her nerves.

"Assuming little boy green was in here while we were all upstairs…he only had, at most, a twenty or thirty minute window of opportunity," she commented. "Let's hope he's not a computer expert and didn't have time to make heads or tails of anything." Jiao sighed again.

"He doesn't seem like the super intelligent type." Conner commented, trying to lighten the tone. "Besides, you're our resident genius, and he's got nothing on you." Jiao chuckled.

"Well, that may very well be true," she replied. She put her glasses back on and looked at the monitor.

"Prove it." He encouraged. "I'll do my best to make sure the others don't bug you." Jiao chuckled again and nodded.

"Thanks," she replied. She weaved her fingers again and stretched her arms out in front of her, cracking her knuckles. "Alright, I'm on it," she stated.

"Good luck, I'll be back later." Conner replied before moving towards the stairs and back up to the kitchen. It didn't take long for Conner to repeat the information that he and Jiao had stumbled across in the basement.

"Well that's comforting." Hayden had commented sarcastically when Conner finished reading the note. "He won't kill anyone if we stop being rangers."

"This is your standard evil being manipulative bluff," Kira stated. "He's banking on us wanting to do anything to help people…short of us actually helping. The truth is, if we stop being rangers it'll just give him carte blanche to do anything and everything he wants. With no one there to stop him, the whole city, and everyone in it, will be destroyed."

"So it's a catch-22 then." Ryder commented. "We're damned if we do, damned if we don't."

"Pretty much." Trent replied. "It just means we have to be careful."

"God, imagine what could've happened if any one of us had been down there when dude was playing pony express," Hayden muttered.

"Let's not even think about that." Kira replied.

"So, what happens now?" Ryder asked.

"For now, we just focus on the here and now," Conner stated. "Jiao's reworking the system to ensure we don't have any unexpected visitors, and other than that we function just as we have been. We remain careful, and help the public when we're needed."

"Sounds good," the group agreed.

The following morning, Kira was just pinning her hair back as the doorbell rang. She had just reached the base of the stairs, purse in hand, as Conner opened the door and let Hayden into the house.

"Hey." The younger ranger grinned. "Jiao here yet?"

"She never left," Kira commented, jutting her thumb towards the door to the basement.

"Does she ever sleep?" He wondered as he moved past them, pausing slightly and giving Kira a once over. "Cute outfit." He complimented before wandering through the kitchen and down to the basement. Kira grinned.

"Why thank you," she replied.

"Should I find it weird that you're be hit on by the only gay male in the fold right now?" Conner teased. Kira chuckled.

"Nah," she replied. Downstairs, Hayden walked into the basement lab to see Jiao working at the computer, a large mug of coffee at her side.

"How goes it?" he questioned as he plopped down next to her.

"Very slowly," she murmured, taking a sip of her coffee and rubbing her bloodshot eyes.

"Did you sleep last night?" Hayden questioned, his voice filling with worry.

"Pfft, sleep's for the weak," she grumbled.

"Yes, but it's also a good way to keep yourself healthy." He countered. Jiao sighed.

"Is there a point to your little visit, I mean other than lecturing me?" She asked, a slight annoyed edge to her tone.

"Kira and I are heading to the mall... You're coming with us." Hayden stated.

"Can't, busy," she stated, returning her full attention to the computer, "besides, I'm not exactly Miss Susie mall dweller."

"You need to take a break Jiao." Came his reply. "We're just gonna run out and grab some stuff quickly before we come back. An hour, tops."

"I'll take a break when I'm finished," she replied. Hayden rolled his eyes.

"Well, that kind of defeats the purpose of a 'break', that's just...you're done."

"No flies on you," Jiao commented, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Please." He commented with a slightly whimper. Jiao sighed and looked up at him.

"Okay," she slowly began, "I'll consider going, if you can promise this is isn't some attempt to get me to be Mary freaking Sunshine, friend to all, like yesterday was," she challenged.

"Promise." He responded after a moment.

"Okay, then I'm considering it," she replied. "Considering…considering….considering…..nope, staying here to work," she quipped, turning back to the computer.

"Oh, come on!" Hayden groaned. "Don't make me drag you upstairs. Because I'll do it if I have to."

"You wouldn't." Jiao shot back quickly. Hayden snorted.

"You'd like to think so, wouldn't you?" He commented. She paused for a few moments, before she locked the computer.

"One hour." She nodded.

"One hour," Hayden confirmed.

"Let's go." She sighed, rolling her eyes as they stood. She picked up her cup of coffee and chugged the remaining contents before carrying it with her as they left the basement. By the time they returned upstairs, it didn't take long to head out to the mall. Kira rolled the car into parking spot and they climbed out.

"I really hate to do this, and if anyone asks, we didn't do this, but we'd be done faster and home a lot quicker if we split up and got everything we needed." She stated as they headed into the mall.

"Sure," Hayden agreed.

"Whatever," Jiao mumbled with a shrug.

"Meet back here in an hour?" The elder yellow ranger commented as they walked into the main part of the mall. The other two nodded before the three parted ways. Not even half an hour had passed when Kira entered her third store, almost half a dozen bags in her hands. Trent and Conner had entrusted her to pick up things for them. As she browsed the store, the ground began to shake under her feet. Displays in the store began to topple over as customers exclaimed their shock and fear and stumbled away from the falling merchandise. Eyes widening, the bags slipped from Kira's hands as she moved quickly towards the exit of the store before breaking into a full-sprint.

The walkways of the mall were verging on chaotic as people raced towards the doors leading out of the mall, shoving people aside to make their escape. From behind, a loud explosion ripped through the part of the mall where Kira had just come from, and she paused momentarily, eyes filling with fear as the ceiling began to collapse, buckling the walls along with it.

"Shit." She breathed before taking off again. Kira hadn't gotten far when another explosion ripped through the side of the mall where the food court was. Bodies flew with the shockwave, one crashing into Kira and sending them both sprawling across the floor. Groaning, she pressed herself against the wall of the store and dusted herself off. There was a loud crack as the ceiling above her began to crack. Kira saw a large piece of the ceiling begin to break off, right above a group of shoppers.

"Get out of the way!" Kira called out to them. Her cries fell on deaf ears as the ceiling plummeted down, the people disappearing. Kira gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as her eyes grew wide. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she pushed herself back into a standing position. Kira moved along the walkway, doing her best to keep her balance on the rumbling floor. Just as another piece of the ceiling fell where she had been standing, Kira ducked into a store. She landed on her knees and quickly scrambled back up to her feet, moving deeper into the store.

"Over here!" A voice called as she looked around. She peered around and saw a small group of people huddled near the fitting rooms. Kira quickly stumbled towards them.

"Are you okay?" A woman questioned as they pulled Kira into their small group. Kira nodded.

"Yeah," she replied.

"How much longer do we have to stay in here?" A young boy questioned, tugging at his mother's hand.

"As long as we have to, sweetie," his mother replied as she squeezed his hand.

"But I wanna go home!" He argued as another explosion ripped through the background. The mother gripped her son closer to her.

"I know, I know, but it's not safe,' she replied. The rumbling stopped a moment later.

"Maybe it is now." An older man commented. "I'll lead us out the emergency exit." He slowly stood up straight and began to head towards the emergency exit near the back of the store. Trying to help, Kira ushered the small group out ahead of her.

"Go." She urged. Just as the mother and son headed towards the door, there was another deafening explosion, causing the walls of the store to explode inwards, sending Kira and the other two occupants to the floor. Kira groaned as she rolled onto her side and glanced around. Her eyes flicked upwards at the sound of a loud snapping noise, and her mouth fell open in a wordless scream as the ceiling crashed down on top of her, the mother and small child.


	16. Buried

Conner had just finished making lunch for himself and Trent when Ryder burst through the front door of the house.

"Guys!" He called out, his tone bordering on frantic as he slammed into the kitchen. Trent and Conner looked at him with concern.

"What is it?" Trent asked.

"Have you seen the news?" Came the rapid fire question before the younger ranger moved back towards the living room. "It's all over the news."

"What is?" Conner asked as he and Trent followed him. Ryder picked up the remote control and turned on the TV.

"...We have now confirmed that multiple explosions have destroyed Lakeview Shopping Centre." The news anchor commented gravely. "This shopping centre is one of the largest in the State and there were nearly 8,000 people in the mall at the time the explosions began to occur." The camera panned away from her and showed a shot of the demolished mall.

"Oh my god," Trent murmured. Conner's face paled as he stared at the screen. A moment later, he rushed towards the kitchen to pick up his discarded cell phone. He flipped it open and pressed the speed dial to Kira's number as he paced back out into the living room.

"Come on, Kira pick up," he murmured as the phone finished dialing. "It's going straight to voicemail," he grumbled, chucking the phone across the room in anger before running a shaking hand through his hair.

"Kira's there?" Ryder asked.

"With Hayden and Jiao," Trent replied.

"Why?" He demanded. "What the hell were they thinking?"

"The place wasn't a disaster site when they left," Trent replied, rolling his eyes. "Kira wanted to pick up some supplies for the house and invited Hayden and Jiao along."

"We need to get down there." Conner stated as he moved towards the front door.

"I'll drive," Ryder replied as he followed him. Trent quickly followed suit, and with a little encouragement, they managed to arrive at the mall in less than 15 minutes. The mall was surrounded by fire trucks, police, paramedics and other officials who were keeping people away from the wreckage. Ryder's car had barely rolled to a stop before Conner threw open the door and leapt out, sprinting towards the mall in hopes of getting past the blockades set-up so he could find Kira.

"Stop!" A police officer commanded as he grabbed Conner's arm. "You can't go in there!"

"My girlfriend's in there!" Conner growled as he tried to pull his arm away.

"I'm sorry sir, but you cannot go in." The officer stated again. Trent caught up to Conner and took a hold of his friend's free shoulder.

"Come on, Conner," Trent said, pulling him back.

"What the hell are you doing?" Conner snapped.

"Just come on," Trent insisted. "I'm sorry," he apologized to the officer before dragging Conner back where Ryder stood by his car. "There's no way we'll get in there as civilians," Trent commented once they were out of earshot of the police officers.

"So what are you saying?" Conner demanded, clearly not thinking rationally. "We have to get in there!" Trent sighed and grabbed Conner's wrist and held it up to his eye line as he pointedly gestured to the gem.

"What do you think I'm saying," he dryly stated.

"Oh I get it." Ryder nodded.

"Come on, we should get out of sight and morph," Trent advised. The group of three moved away from the site quickly, hiding behind a nearby building before they morphed.

"Alright, now what?" Ryder asked the two older rangers. "They're really just going to let us walk right in without an issue?" He skeptically questioned.

"No one's going to turn away the power rangers at a disaster site like this," Trent replied.

"They'd better not." Conner grumbled as they moved towards the area. As Trent had predicted, they weren't stopped. On the contrary, officials guided others out of the way to let them pass through, quietly mumbling reverent comments.

"Man, are we glad you guys are here," the fire chief commented near the entrance of the mall, or at least what was left of it.

"Glad we can help." Trent spoke as the chief lead them through the destruction.

"Does anyone know what happened?" Conner asked. The chief shrugged.

"Our best guess is some kind of earth quake…but…it's not like we're in California or something. But it's the only explanation we've got right now."

"Yeah, earthquake sounds about right." Ryder muttered under his breath as the chief stopped.

"We've been getting reports of voices being heard in this area, so if you wouldn't mind helping to figure that out." The chief stated.

"We've got it," Trent nodded. "You should get back, the area still might be unsteady, it's not safe," he advised the chief.

"Of course, let us know if you need anything." He nodded. He left the three rangers and returned to his post at the edge of the wreckage. Carefully, the group began to pull the debris away, handing it off to other people who stood nearby and chucked it into dumpsters. It didn't take long for them to dig down into the rubble.

"Hey! I've got someone here!" Ryder commented as he pulled up a piece of rubble and noticed a foot sticking out.

"Careful," Conner advised as the three of them pulled away the rumble piled up on top of the body. A few minutes later the three of them revealed the familiar, and bloodied, face, of their friend and teammate. "Jesus," Conner breathed as they looked down at Hayden. Trent quickly kneeled beside him.

"Hayden," he quietly spoke, "come on, buddy, say something."

"Did someone get the license plate of that bus?" The youngest ranger slurred after a few moments. Trent sighed.

"Can't say I did," he chuckled.

"We need a stretcher over here!" Ryder called out to the paramedic crew.

"Where are Jiao... And Kira?" Hayden questioned quietly as he tried to sit up.

"Don't try to move," Trent said, placing a hand on his chest to hold him down.

"They weren't with you?" Conner asked, a slight frantic edge to his tone.

"No….we…we split up to get the shopping done faster." Groaning, Hayden sighed. "I don't think I was supposed to tell you that." He murmured after a momentary pause.

"Whose idea was it?" Conner questioned as the paramedics came closer.

"Uh…Kira's," Hayden murmured.

"Damnit." Conner sighed heavily. The paramedics reached them, kneeling next to Hayden to take care of him.

"Come on; let's see if we can find the others." Trent murmured. Ryder and Conner nodded and followed him through the wreckage. They stopped a few a fair distance from where they had found Hayden and began to dig again. They dug for nearly twenty minutes before coming across a group of survivors, but no sign of their two missing friends.

"Maybe this will work faster if we split up." Ryder suggested.

"Good idea," Conner agreed. Trent nodded and the three broke off to search separately. Trent pulled up a few pieces of destroyed roof and ceiling, pushing them aside as he looked for any survivors. He winced as he came across a few dead bodies in the debris, his heart breaking at the sight of mangled children. Lifting his arm, Trent flagged down the paramedics who brought over a few body bags as Trent moved over and began moving another section. Twenty feet away, Conner was searching through the wreckage as well. He found the decapitated body of an older gentleman. He flagged down a nearby paramedic as he swallowed down his anxiety over what state he would find Kira in and continued searching. He moved over a few feet and pulled off a large piece of debris. Underneath he found the unmoving body of a woman on top of a young boy. Conner grimaced as he waved the paramedics over, unable to force himself to check their bodies. He continued looking as the paramedics tended to the woman and child. As he pulled away more debris, his breath caught in his throat as he saw a head of blond hair, matted with blood.

"Oh god," he murmured, as he recognized the edge of the shirt he had seen Kira wearing that morning. With careful and quick precision, he began prying the debris away from her body. As he moved a piece of ceiling from her bloody arm, he heard a soft moan come from her lips. She might've as well have started singing the Hallelujah chorus as far as Conner was concerned, for his heart quickened at the sound. "Oh god, Kira," he quietly sobbed. He quickly cleared away the rest of the debris on top of her and kneeled at her side.

"Conner?" She mumbled softly.

"Yeah, I'm right here," Conner told her, lightly stroking her hand. "We need some help over here!" He called out, requesting paramedics.

"What happened?" Kira questioned after a few minutes as the paramedics finally reached them.

"We're not sure," Conner replied as he moved aside to let the paramedics help her.

"Are Hayden and Jiao okay?" She wondered as the EMS team began to work on loading her onto a backboard.

"Ma'am we're going to need you to lie still," one of the paramedics said. He looked up at Conner. "We've got her sir; you can keep looking for survivors." Conner was torn. Part of him knew that he should stay with Kira and make sure she was okay. The other part knew that the paramedics were right. Kira shifted her gaze to look at him from the corner of her eye.

"I'll be okay," she said, forcing herself to speak neutrally so as to not give the paramedics any idea that this rescue was any different than what she saw of Trent and Ryder helping survivors in the distance from her prone position. "You should keep looking for people." He forced himself to nod before looking at the paramedics.

"Where are you taking the survivors?" He questioned, the word 'survivors' feeling heavy in his mouth.

"We're taking as many as we can to county general," the paramedic replied.

"Thank you." Conner nodded. "If I find their families, I'll pass the information along." The paramedic nodded and focused his attention back to strapping Kira to the board. Elsewhere, Ryder had just pulled a father and young son out of the wreckage when he heard faint muffled screaming in the distance.

"You got them?" Ryder asked the paramedic who was tending to the little boy.

"Yeah, we're good," she replied. Ryder nodded and moved towards where he thought he heard the noise coming from.

"Somebody!" The muffled voice pleaded. "Please, get me out of here!" Ryder quickened his pace and followed the sound. "Please! I can't breathe!" The frantic pleas continued. Ryder finally reached the sound and began pulling away debris.

"Hang on," Ryder assured the voice. "You're going to be okay, just hang on," he said. He heard a few quiet hiccupping sobs for a moment before the voice spoke again.

"….Ryder?" The voice asked.

"Uh, no?" He responded, hoping not to draw the attention of people who were searching around him. "Just…relax, ma'am, I'll get you out momentarily," he stiffly commented.

"Relax?" The voice shrilly demanded. "How the hell am I supposed to relax with god only knows how many pounds of shopping center closing in on me!"

"Almost got you." He assured her.

"Hurry up, please.." The voice meekly pleaded. Ryder moved away a large piece of marble to see Jiao's face amongst the debris. Her noise was bleeding, as was a large cut along her forehead. She was beyond pale and her eyes clenched shut.

"Hey." He murmured softly, drawing her attention to him. Jiao's chin quivered and she slowly opened her eyes. She let out a quiet sob as she squinted against the sun.

"Oh god…get me out of here," she whimpered.

"Working on it." Ryder promised as he began to clear the debris away from her body. Jiao closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing as Ryder worked on freeing her. It took him nearly twenty minutes to clear everything away. "Okay." He murmured after a brief pause, his eyes sweeping over her body for injuries. Her arms and legs were slightly bloodied and scraped and there were scratches from the debris on her neck and shoulder.

"Do you want me to call the medics over?" Ryder questioned once he glanced up at her.

"I'm fine,' she insisted with a shuddering breath as she moved to stand. "Ow!" She yelped the moment she put weight on her arm to get up.

"Or not." He commented. "Just stay still," he suggested, carefully holding her uninjured shoulder down with one hand as he waved over paramedics with the other.

"Ugh, this sucks." Jiao argued as she lay back.

"It'll be okay." Ryder reassured her. Jiao simply sighed again and laid back as they waited for the paramedics. As they waited, something under Jiao's head caught Ryder's eye. He carefully reached around her to investigate.

"What?" Jiao muttered in confusion as she watched Ryder lean over her. His hand went to just above the base of her skull, near where her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He felt a sizeable wound that was bleeding a fair amount. He pulled his hand back to see the blood on his fingers. Jiao stared at his fingers, surprised. "I didn't…even feel that…" She murmured. Ryder let out a soft breath.

"Probably because of the adrenaline," he replied just as the paramedics reached them.

"Wonderful." She grumbled in response. "So that'll hurt like a bitch later."

"Yeah, probably," Ryder chuckled as he moved aside to let the paramedics get to her. It didn't take long for them to load Jiao onto another backboard. Ryder stood back as the medics strapped her in and lifted her up. Jiao winced slightly as the movement put some pressure on her arms and legs before sighing and looking over at Ryder.

"Thanks," she quietly murmured.

"You're welcome." He replied quietly with a nod. He watched as the paramedics carried her away to one of the awaiting ambulances. The three males continued to aid in the search for a few more hours. The sun was just beginning to set by the time they went though the rest of the wreckage and found what few more survivors there still were.

"Hey." The fire chief called out. "I think we've done all we can." He stopped next to the rangers. Trent sighed as he looked at the site where the mall used to be and nodded.

"Just wish we could've found more…." He paused, unsure how to say he wished the majority of those they found had been survivors. As it was, most of the bodies they had come across were dead.

"You did the best you could," the chief replied. "I can't even imagine how many more probably would've died if they had to wait for us to get to them."

"Thanks for letting us help." Conner stated. The chief nodded.

"We should get going," Trent commented to his two teammates. He could tell Conner was anxious to see Kira, and making sure Hayden and Jiao were alright was also on the three rangers minds.

"Of course." The chief nodded again. "Thank you again, so much..."

"No thanks needed," Ryder replied with a nod as the three began to walk away. They moved back to the building where they had changed before, in order to power down. Once they were back in their regular clothes, they went to Ryder's car.

"They're at County General." Conner commented as Ryder pulled away from the scene. Ryder nodded and drove the car towards the hospital. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination and park before heading in. The hospital was filled with medical staff rushing about dealing with the injured survivors, some of whom were still trickling in with paramedics. The walls were lined with cots of people being taken care of.

"Do you see them?" Conner asked as he peered around the hospital.

"No," Trent replied, followed by Ryder reiterating the same assessment. "Maybe we should ask someone where they are," Trent suggested.

"Good idea." Ryder affirmed. The three moved deeper into the hospital where they found the triage desk. A frazzled nurse stood there dealing with several ringing phones and a high volume of people asking her questions.

"Please!" The nurse called out at the crowd. "I'm doing the best I can to help you find your relatives, but you need to all calm down!"

"My wife and son were in the mall, I need to know if they're okay!" One man insisted.

"Sir, I understand, but all of you yelling in my face isn't going to help you or them. So please, just calm down and I'll try to help you one at a time," the nurse replied, doing her best to remain calm.

"Well why aren't there more people helping you?" A woman cried.

"Oh I don't know, maybe because they're busy helping your loved ones," the nurse snapped. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "Please, just form a line and I'll help each and every one of you find whoever you're looking for," she insisted after a deep breath. The guys lined up along with dozens of other people, and waited patiently for their turn.

"We should probably split the others up among us," Trent suggested. "The nurse looks like she's on edge enough as it is, last thing she needs is a group asking for different people."

"Good idea," Conner nodded. "I'll take Kira," he added without missing a beat.

"No!" Trent replied, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Shut it," Conner lightly snapped as the line moved slightly.

"I'll find Hayden." Trent laughed as he patted Conner on the shoulder lightly.

"Guess that leaves me with Jiao," Ryder sighed.

"Don't sound so thrilled." Trent teased.

"Let's just hope this is one of her less antagonistic moments," Ryder muttered. Near the front of the line, a man was arguing with the nurse. From the sounds of it, she was having trouble finding whoever he was looking for. She tried to assure him that some survivors hadn't been identified yet due to severe injuries and not having any ID on them and that someone would help him find their loved one soon, which didn't seem like a good enough answer for him. A security guard had to be called over to usher him to the waiting area so the nurse could help the next person in line. The line went surprisingly fast, given the severity of the news that some people were receiving. Soon Conner, Ryder and Trent were at the front.

"Next," the nurse called as Conner stepped up.

"I'm looking for Kira Ford," he stated. The nurse looked through the packet of papers she had before pausing, her mouth forming a small 'o'.

"Conner McKnight?" She asked. Conner tilted his head in confusion before slowly nodding. "Miss Ford was placed in one of the private wings, given…well, who she is. She said that a Conner McKnight would be looking for her. Just go to the elevators down the hall, go to the 8th floor, she'll be in room 817."

"Thanks," Conner stated before rushing off to the elevators.

"Bye." Trent called after his friend, and began to shake his head as he stepped forward. "Hayden Underwood?" He spoke to the nurse. The nurse nodded and looked through her papers.

"Mr. Underwood is in room 204, but a family member's already in with him," she stated, looking over her notes.

"Is that a problem?" Trent asked.

"No, I guess you can go through, we're just trying to limit visitors….you know, with all the craziness," she stated. Trent nodded.

"Thanks," he replied as he left. Ryder stepped forward next.

"Jiao-Jie Huang," he requested. The nurse nodded and flipped some pages forward in search of the name.

"Oh, Miss Ford requested she be put in her wing. She's in room 820," the nurse replied.

"Oh... perfect. Thanks." Ryder commented before heading off in the direction that Conner had gone. He reached the elevator just in time to see an elevator begin to close with Conner in it. He caught sight of Ryder and pressed the door open button for him. "Thanks," he replied as he stepped in.

"No problem, what floor is Jiao on?" Conner asked.

"Same as Kira's, the nurse said Kira requested it," he replied. Conner nodded and pressed the door close button.

"I guess she figured since Jiao doesn't have any family in town, it'd be best to have her nearby," Conner figured as the elevator began to ascend.

"Probably a good idea." Ryder replied. "It'll give us the chance to keep an eye on her too." Conner nodded. A few minutes later the elevator reached the eight floor and the doors opened up.

"Left." Ryder commented as they stepped off. Conner nodded and the two walked down the hallway. The hallway was empty save for a security guard and a nurse at desk near the waiting area. Conner and Ryder approached the desk.

"IDs please," The nurse said. Conner and Ryder pulled their IDs out of their wallets and handed them over; figuring it was required given this was the private wing. The nurse took them and looked them over. She nodded at Conner's ID and quickly handed it back to him before looking at Ryder's.

"He's with me," Conner stated, figuring Ryder might not have been listed as an approved visitor. The nurse nodded and handed Ryder his ID.

"Miss Ford is in 817, right over there," she said pointing to a closed door to the left. "And Miss Huang's in 820, right across the hall from Miss Ford."

"Thank you." Ryder commented as he pocketed his ID. The two left the desk and headed to the corridor where the rooms where. Conner reached Kira's door and gently knocked on the door before reaching for the handle.

"If things get too hairy... You know where to find us." Conner commented before pushing the door open. Ryder sighed and knocked on Jiao's door.

"What?" Came the nearly barking response. Ryder sighed again and carefully turned the handle, opening the door enough to poke his head in.

"Hey," he spoke.

"Oh... it's you." Jiao commented, the hostility in her voice only turned down slightly. Ryder stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.

"How are you?" He asked as he walked in and took a seat beside her. She was propped up on pillows on the hospital bed in a gown with the covers up to her waist. Ryder could see bandages on the scrapes on her arms, stitches across her forehead and a square bandage on the back of her head.

"Irritated, how about you?" Jiao lightly snapped. She groaned and rolled her eyes. "They said I might, _might _have a concussion but won't know for sure until they take me to a cat scan…which they can't yet since there's more severe cases. So here I am, waiting. Not that I'm all that looking forward to being shoved into a teeny tiny little box," she grumbled.

"Well, you look better than you did the last time." He offered.

"Right, because that's so helpful," Jiao sarcastically replied. She right and rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefingers. "How are the others?" She asked. Ryder shrugged.

"Trent went to check on Hayden, I think I heard the nurse say a family member was with him, but other than that I don't know and Conner's with Kira across the hall," he replied.

"And you're stuck with me." She grumbled.

"Well…I wouldn't put it that way," Ryder replied.

"Oh please. You drew the short straw and was forced to see me, admit it," Jiao replied. Ryder just shrugged. Jiao sighed and laid back. "I'm tired…but of course, can't sleep because oh no, I might have a concussion and will end up dead or something," she continued to grumble.

"I wish I knew what to say." He replied. Jiao simply sighed again and rolled her eyes.

"Does anyone know what happened?" She asked. Ryder shook his head.

"People seem to think massive earth quake, but it doesn't exactly add up…especially since the mall was the only place affected."

"An earthquake doesn't make any sense." Jiao murmured. "There were loud explosions..."

"Explosions?" Ryder asked.

"Yeah…like bombs going off all over the place," Jiao replied. Ryder was quiet for a moment.

"You mean like the ice cream parlor a few weeks ago?" He asked. Jiao paused and looked at him, getting what he meant.

"You mean…." She began. She sighed. "Well, that's an interesting way to protest commercialism," she sarcastically commented.

"I don't understand why though." Ryder commented after a few moments. "This wasn't provoked..."

"Neither was the ice cream parlor or the attack on the city before we met Conner, Kira and Trent," Jiao pointed out. "He either knew Kira, Hayden and I were at the mall….or it was just destruction for the sake of destruction. Probably to send us a message or something."

"What a sicko." He stated.

"Pretty much," Jiao nodded. There was a knock on the door before it opened to reveal a doctor and an orderly pushing an empty wheel chair.

"Miss Huang?" The doctor spoke up as she walked in, "We can take you in to the CAT scan now," she stated.

"Oh…great," Jiao grumbled. Ryder reached over and patted her arm gently.

"I'll be here when you get back."

"You're welcomed to accompany her, if you want," the doctor offered. Ryder looked at the doctor for a moment before looking at Jiao, silently asking her if she wanted him to. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she replied as the orderly approached the bed and began helping her into the wheelchair. "I guess I need someone to hold my glasses or something," she shrugged.

"Alright," Ryder replied, standing up. "Uh...I guess I'll just go tell Conner and Kira and meet you at the elevators," he offered.

"Whatever." Jiao replied. Ryder stepped out of the room and went across the hall to Kira's room and knocked on the door.

"It's open." Came Conner's soft reply. Pushing the door open, he noticed Conner sitting next to Kira, holding her hand as she slept.

"How is she?" Ryder asked. Conner made a sort of so-so head gesture.

"No permanent injuries, so I guess that's a good thing," he replied. Ryder nodded.

"They're taking Jiao up to get a scan done, just thought you guys would like to know," he stated.

"Thanks." Conner smiled weakly. "If Kira wakes up while you're gone I'll pass the information on." Ryder nodded and quietly left the room, careful to silently shut the door. He headed towards the elevators where he found Jiao, the doctor and the orderly waiting for him. They all walked in to an elevator and quietly rode it up to the fifteenth floor before filing out. Ryder walked beside the orderly as he pushed Jiao in the wheelchair behind the doctor as she led the way to the CAT scan. Once they reached the room, Ryder stood off to the side as they wheeled Jiao over to the slab. She sat up and handed her glasses over to Ryder. As Ryder took the glasses, he noticed her hands were shaking but thought nothing of it.

"Alright Miss Huang, just lie back and we'll get you ready," the doctor commented.

"Yeah, yeah," Jiao grumbled as she did as instructed. She lied on her back as the doctor went about securing her head for the scan.

"We'll be just out there," the doctor said, pointing to a window at the side of the room that showed another smaller room. "There's a microphone in the scan in case you need to speak to us or need to stop and come back out for a moment. Though, I should tell you, if we bring you out, we're just going to have to start the process up from the beginning, so let's try and get it in one go, okay?" She said, giving Jiao a smile.

"Fine," Jiao replied. The doctor nodded and stepped away before leaving the room. Jiao stared up at the ceiling as she waited.

"You okay?" Ryder asked.

"I'm fine," Jiao grumbled.

"Alright, Miss Huang," the doctor's voice rang in the room. Ryder looked over to see her standing on the other side of the window with a technician, "we're going to get started, are you ready?" She asked.

"Yeah," Jiao called out. She let out a breath as the slab began to move into the scanning machine. Ryder watched as her head and shoulders disappeared inside. Jiao clasped her hands on her stomach, her nails slightly digging into the backs of her palms.

"Miss Huang, we're about to start the scan. Just relax," the doctor advised.

"Easy for her to say," Ryder heard Jiao grumbled in a shaky voice. He heard her take a deep breath and shakily let it out, and doing it again and again.

"Miss Huang, you need to lie still," The doctor instructed. Ryder stepped closer to Jiao's side and reached for her hands. He took hold of one of her hands and gently squeezed it.

"Just relax, you're going to be fine," he softly commented.

"Okay." She murmured after a few moments. They stayed like this as the scan began and Jiao tried to remain calm in the small enclosed space. After a few minutes, Ryder felt Jiao tighten her hold on his hand as her breath hitched slightly. Ryder gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb in soothing circles.

"It's okay," he stated.

"How much longer?" She whimpered.

"Just about ten more minutes, Miss Huang, you're doing great," the doctor's voice rang out.

"Ten?" Jiao whimpered.

"It's okay... I'm here." Ryder reassured. Jiao blew out a shaky breath. The ten minutes dragged on for Jiao.

"Alright, Miss Huang, we're just about finished," the doctor stated. A few moments later the scanner powered down. "Alright, we've got it. We're going to bring you out now."

"Thank god," Jiao murmured.

"Let's get you out of there." Ryder commented as she came back into view. The slab rolled out to reveal a slightly pale Jiao looking like she was itching to jump off the table. A moment later the doctor walked back into the room and began unhooking the case Jiao's head had to be in for positioning. As soon as she had the last strap unlocked, the doctor helped Jiao off the table and back into the wheelchair. "Here," Ryder said, handing her back her glasses.

"Thanks," Jiao muttered as she slipped them on as the orderly that had wheeled Jiao in entered the room.

"You're going to be taken back to your room while I look over the scans. I'll come by a little later with the results, okay?" The doctor said.

"Yeah, that's fine," Jiao dismissively replied. The ride back to her room was quiet. Once they arrived back at the room, the orderly helped Jiao back into bed before wheeling the chair back out and leaving her and Ryder alone. Ryder resumed his seat by the bed.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Jiao quickly replied. "Just tired."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Jiao evasively insisted, looking away. "I mean, with all of today's craziness, who wouldn't be?" She replied. Ryder nodded.

"Yeah. And I bet the claustrophobia probably didn't help matters, right?" He commented. Jiao's gaze snapped towards Ryder, her eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch.

"How did you…" She murmured.

"Your panicked state under what used to be the mall," he replied. "I mean, sure, having an entire building fall around you can drive anyone to freak out, but you shouting you couldn't breathe and your adrenaline being so up there that you didn't feel a head wound kind of pointed out it was probably more than just….the fear anyone else would have. The trouble you were having in the scan just kind of confirmed suspicions," he shrugged.

"...Oh." She murmured after a few moments. Jiao shrugged and looked down. "The whole…small enclosed space thing…kind of freaks me out," she muttered.

"Well, that is what claustrophobia is," Ryder chuckled slightly. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"No shit." She laughed.

"Have you…been this way your whole life?" Ryder curiously asked.

"And by 'this way' to you mean rendered to a pile of petrified goo in small spaces, or with the vibrant charming personality I display to others?" She sarcastically replied with a smirk.

"Maybe both?" He laughed. Jiao chuckled.

"And why would I share such personal things with you?" She asked. Ryder shrugged.

"I don't know, gratitude? Engaging in the process of becoming friends with another person?" He replied.

"Hmm... Doubtful on all counts." Jiao replied.

"Oh come on," Ryder insisted. "Hey, I was nice enough to help you out while you were getting your scan. I could've just stood back and let you freak out. The least you could do is…"

"Satisfy your curiosity by telling you something that is none of your business?" Jiao asked with a slight tilt of her head. Dropping his head slightly, Ryder sighed.

"Forget it."

"I intend to," Jiao replied as she leaned back against her propped up pillows. Just as Ryder opened his mouth to make a comment, the door to Jiao's room swung open and the doctor walked in. "Finally," Jiao sighed as the doctor walked over to them. "So, doc, what's the news?" She asked.

"Well, it looks like you've got a mild concussion," she commented as she stopped next to her bed.

"Wonderful," Jiao muttered, rolling her eyes.

"It could be a lot worse." The doctor gave her a half smile. "I'm willing to discharge you, as long as someone will be with you the next 24 hours to make sure you don't sleep."

"I can be fine on my own," Jiao replied. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Sadly, that's not something I can allow to happen." The doctor replied in a sympathic tone. "There's no guarantee that you wouldn't fall asleep. If there's someone there with you, you can sleep in small 3-5 minute increments without fear of not waking up." The doctor cast a glance over to Ryder. "I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't mind watching over you," she shrugged. Jiao's eyes widened as she sputtered slightly in shock.

"He is not my boyfriend," she stated, her voice edging slightly towards shrill.

"Oh?" The doctor questioned, an eyebrow raised. "My mistake."

"Gosh, sound a little more horrified by that assumption why don't you?" Ryder muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Shut up!" She hissed.

"Miss Huang, if there is no one we can release you to we will need to keep you here overnight for observation," the doctor spoke up.

"Despite the fact that I'm not her boyfriend, I can take care of her." Ryder offered. Jiao rolled her eyes. "What, would you rather stay here all night?" Ryder asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. Jiao glared at him before crossing her arms and slumping against her pillows in a mild sulk.

"Fine," she grumbled.

"Alright, I'll just get you to sign off on some medical forms and you can be on your way." The doctor smiled. She left the room to get the forms, leaving Jiao and Ryder alone. Once the doctor was gone, Jiao fixed Ryder with an icy glare.

"I said it before and I'll say it again, I don't need a babysitter," she hissed.

"I'm not going to baby-sit you." He replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm going to make sure you don't die."

"Isn't that what babysitters do?" Jiao countered. "Make sure the kids don't die or blow up the house."

"Well, I'd like to think you have enough sense not to blow up your house," Ryder commented. Jiao narrowed her eyes.

"I don't see why you offered anyway," she stated.

"I'm beginning to think the same thing, what with you being such a joy to be around," Ryder sarcastically muttered.

"Nobody asked you to do this." She snarled.

"Hey, if you'd rather stay here for the night, I'll just go tell the doctor to forget the forms. I just figured you'd be more comfortable at home."

"A bed's a bed," Jiao shrugged, continuing her combative and antagonistic stance. Ryder sighed, seeing she was going to be difficult if he continued to pursue that line of logic.

"So you're fine with leaving your cat all alone for the night?" He asked, changing tactics. Jiao frowned slightly.

"Well, no…" She murmured. Ryder nodded.

"Especially since he's just a little kitten and isn't used to being alone over night. And who would feed him tonight?" He pressed.

"Alright, alright, you've made your point," Jiao grumbled.

"Good." He nodded. "I won't baby you, promise."

"You better not," Jiao replied just as the doctor returned to the room with the necessary forms. It only took a few moments for Jiao to sign her necessary forms, and then for Ryder to sign off that he would take care of her.

"Alright then," the doctor said. "I'll leave you to get ready. I'll send the orderly to assist you out of the hospital in ten minutes," she said as she left the room.

"Thanks." Ryder commented as they watched the doctor leave. Jiao sighed and threw the blankets off as she sat up. She moved to stand up to get her clothes when she paused and gave Ryder a look.

"You know, I'm pretty sure I can handle changing on my own," she pointedly commented.

"Okay." He commented, rolling his eyes.

"So yeah…just wait outside or something," Jiao stated as she gathered her clothes.

"Right." Ryder muttered before heading to the door. "I guess I'll go let Conner know what's going on," he shrugged.

"Whatever," Jiao shrugged. He wasn't gone long to tell Conner that they would be heading out shortly. Once he was done informing Conner, Ryder knocked on Jiao's door to make sure she wasn't still changing.

"One second," Jiao replied. "Alright, come in," she said after a moment. Ryder opened the door to see her in her clothes, which were just as blood and dirt stained and rumbled as when he found her in the wreckage, sitting on the bed as she tried to put her sneakers on. Ryder watched her wince slightly as she tried to cross her right leg over her left to slip her shoe on.

"Let me help," Ryder offered as he sat back down in his previous seat and went to take the shoe from him. Jiao held it away from him and gave him a look.

"I'm pretty sure putting my shoes on for me constitutes as babying," she accused. Ryder rolled his eyes.

"It's called helping, not babying," he stated.

"There's no difference." She grumbled.

"So you'd rather I just sit here and let you vainly struggle?" He asked.

"Whatever." She grumbled. She tried to put the shoe on herself a few more times before giving up with a sigh. She rolled her eyes and held the shoe out to Ryder. Ryder simply looked at it with a smirk. "Well?" Jiao asked.

"Well what?" He replied.

"I thought you wanted to help," she replied. Ryder shrugged.

"You turned my offer down. So, if you need my help, I'm sorry to say you're going to have to ask," he replied. Jiao glared at him.

"Or I could just chuck the shoe at your head," she threatened.

"If you give me a head injury, who'd be there to help you out this evening?" Ryder smirked. Jiao sighed.

"Keep in mind this whole you helping me thing is just for the next 24 hours or whatever. After that, I could decide to remember this and exact my revenge," she pointed out.

"Uh huh, sure." Ryder chuckled. "Now, go on, ask me to help you. And I had better hear a please," he stated. Jiao sighed and gave him a pleading look.

"Come on," she softly said. She lifted her barefoot and placed it on the edge of his knee. "Are you really just going to sit there and take pleasure in me being all helpless?" She asked, lightly biting her lip. Ryder looked down at her foot for a moment before looking back up at her. Jiao raised her eyebrows ever so slightly giving him a look that made him rethink his rigid stance. "Well?" She softly spoke, her toe lightly tracing a seam on his pant leg.

"Um, okay, fine.." Ryder muttered, taking the shoe from her and putting it on from her foot. Jiao did her best to bite back her smirk until he finished putting on her other shoe. Once he tied both laces and set her feet down she let loose a soft chuckle.

"Wow, that was just too easy," she grinned.

"Uh huh." He replied.

"I mean, seriously, Kira actually had to get me to beg for her help the other day when I needed help re-bandaging my foot. You? Just play up the helpless little bunny angle and you're complete putty," she teased. Ryder paused as he finally got what happened. He narrowed his eyes at her slightly.

"You played me?" He asked. Jiao laughed.

"Like a cheap fiddle," she bragged. Ryder's jaw tightened at her smug attitude.

"If you want, I can go tell the doctor to forget about the forms and you'll just be staying here for the night," he commented, not incredibly pleased that she couldn't even try to be a little grateful for him helping her out.

"What?" She questioned.

"You heard me," Ryder replied. "I mean, no offense but if the next 24 hours is going to be you being this ray of bitchy sunrise, I'm pretty sure I'd have more fun having a root canal without Novocain. So, maybe it's a bad idea and you should just stay here and let people who are paid to put up with your attitude make sure you don't die." Jiao's mouth fell open as he snapped at her.

"After all that yarn you weaved about I should be home so Tybalt's not all alone, you're going to bail on me?" She sputtered, shocked.

"Well that was back when I thought you would be at least a little grateful that I'm helping you out," Ryder replied.

"You know what they say, you shouldn't do nice things just to be thanked," she countered.

"Right, but I don't deserve to have you treating me like crap when I'm selflessly helping you," Ryder replied. "So, if you can't find it in yourself to apologize and be at least a little less bitchy while I'm spending twenty four hours of my life helping you out, then I'll just tell the doctor to toss out the forms we just signed," he stated.

"Alright!" Jiao responded after a few second of silence. "I'm sorry."

"For?" Ryder pressed, arching his eyebrow expectantly. Jiao huffed indignantly.

"For whatever it is I'm supposed to be sorry for," she replied.

"Nope, you've got to better than that," Ryder stated, crossing his arms. Jiao jutted her jaw and glared at him.

"Fine," she hissed. "I'm sorry for not being nice…or whatever," she muttered. Ryder simply looked at her. "That's all you're getting, so take it or leave it," she snapped.

"Alright." He nodded.

"Alright what?" Jiao asked.

"Alright, I guess I'll accept that poor excuse for an apology," Ryder replied. Jiao simply glared at him and chewed her lip to keep from sniping at him. A few moments later the orderly entered the room with a wheelchair to wheel Jiao out of the hospital.

"Alright, here we go." The orderly smiled. Jiao rolled her eyes and stood up.

"About fricken time," she muttered as she sat in the chair. Ryder sighed and shook his head as he stood up and went to follow Jiao and the orderly out. As they left the room, they saw Trent leaving Kira's room.

"Hey," he said. Ryder nodded in greeting as Jiao simply rolled her eyes and let the orderly push her towards the elevator. "So I hear she's being released to your care," Trent smirked. Ryder sighed.

"Don't start,' he replied. "Anyway, how's Hayden?" He asked.

"He's okay. His mom was in with him when I got there. He ended up looking worse than he was so they're probably going to release him in a few hours. I have to head back to the house and get some things for Kira. They want to keep her here overnight." Ryder nodded.

"Need a lift?" He asked. Trent nodded.

"Yeah, that'd be great," he replied.

"Oh no problem." Ryder replied. The two made their way over to the elevators where they saw the orderly and Jiao waiting for them. Ryder caught sight of Jiao shifting in her seat as she slipped a piece of paper into her pocket, a heavy blush on her cheeks. He thought nothing of it and simply waited for the elevator to arrive. A few moments later the doors opened and the four of them piled in. The elevator ride was quiet as they reached the main level of the hospital and exited.

"I guess I'll go on ahead and bring the car around," Ryder commented as they walked towards the hospital exit.

"Whatever," Jiao shrugged. Ryder picked up the pace and walked out of the hospital, making his way to the parking lot. Trent followed the orderly as he wheeled Jiao outside and they all waited for Ryder to return.

"You can go back inside if you need to take care of other patients or something," Trent stated. The orderly shrugged.

"I don't mind waiting, besides I have to bring the chair back inside anyway," he replied.

"...Okay." Trent commented, dragging it out. A few moments later Ryder pulled up to the curb. "Well, here's our ride," Trent said. The orderly stepped over to Jiao's side and helped her out of the chair. Trent raised his eyebrow as the orderly helped her into the car.

"Um, thanks," Jiao murmured, blushing slightly as the orderly opened the passenger side door for her and helped her slide in.

"Anytime." He grinned. Trent stepped around the overtly flirtatious orderly and climbed into the back of Ryder's car, discretely rolling his eyes. Once Jiao was in the car the orderly gave her a small wink as he shut the door for her. "I'll be looking forward to your call," he commented, which only made Jiao's blush intensify.

"Uh huh, bye," she replied, looking down as she buckled her seatbelt. Once the door was shut, Trent glanced at her.

"I'll be looking forward to your call?" He teased.

"Shut it," Jiao grumbled, looking out her window to see the orderly still standing at the curb smiling at her as he folded up the wheelchair to take back inside. Trent just chuckled in the backseat while Ryder rolled his eyes and pulled away from the curb. Jiao sighed and leaned back in her seat.

"He was just being nice or whatever," Jiao muttered with a shrug.

"Whatever you say." He replied.

"I'm surprised you can actually recognize what nice is," Ryder commented.

"Oh bite me," Jiao lowly snarled.

"Now, now, children, play nice," Trent chuckled.

"There's that word again." Ryder commented.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Jiao snapped. "You were on my ass about being less bitchy before, perhaps you should follow your own advice," she stated.

"Okay stop it." Trent stated from the backseat.

"Tell him that, he started it," Jiao replied.

"Oh, that's mature," Ryder replied. Jiao rolled her eyes and stared out the window.

"Whatever, I'm done talking to you," she stated. Trent just sighed from the backseat. Within a few minutes Ryder arrived at the house to drop Trent off.

"You need a ride back to the hospital?" Ryder asked.

"Nah, I'll grab Conner's keys and use his car," he replied as he climbed out of the car. Jiao opened her door as well and got out.

"Wait up, I need to get my bag from inside," she replied as she followed Trent. Ryder simply sat in the car and waited for Jiao to come back as she and Trent entered the house. A few minutes later Jiao came back out with her messenger bag and got back in the car.

"Ready?" He asked once she was back in the car and all buckled in. Jiao simply nodded and looked out the window. Ryder rolled his eyes. "You're really not going to talk to me?" He asked. Jiao replied with a one shouldered shrug. "Seriously?" Ryder asked. "Wow, how ever am I going to go on without your snide comments and insults?" Ryder chuckled as he started the car up and began driving towards her house. Her left hand moved upwards to flip him the bird before dropping back into her lap. Ryder rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry; I don't acknowledge 'sign language'. If you want to say something to me you'll have to actually speak." Jiao shrugged and looked away, waiting out the rest of the ride.

* * *

As soon as Conner pushed the door open to Kira's private room, he was disappointed. Instead of seeing her wide awake and waiting to greet him, she was asleep, looking far too small in the hospital bed. He moved over next to her bed and sat down in one of the chairs. Gently, his slipped his hand into hers and leaned back, drifting somewhere between consciousness and an alert state. He sat with Kira for some time as she continued to sleep; only vaguely acknowledging Ryder when he came by the room to inform him on what was going on with Jiao. Conner gently rubbed Kira's hand as he watched her sleep. After awhile Trent came by to join him with Kira.

"How's she doing?" Trent questioned as he pulled up a chair on the other side of Kira's bed.

"Not sure," Conner replied. "The doctor said there's no permanent damage and no broken bones or anything, but she's been sleeping since I got here so that's all I know," Conner replied.

"Well that's good that there's no permanent damage." Trent replied. Conner nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he replied.

"Could have been that she adrenalin just ran out, hence why she's sleeping." Trent offered. Conner nodded again.

"Yeah," he replied, rubbing Kira's hand.

"Or she's just tired." Came the mumbled comment from Kira. Conner looked at Kira and blew out a soft chuckle, surprised and happy to see she was awake.

"Yeah, I guess that could be it too," he chuckled. He shifted closer to her and gently kissed her hand. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Like a building fell on me." She admitted with a groan. Conner smiled and gently caressed her forehead with his free hand.

"Well, guess that's to be expected," he lovingly commented.

"Uh huh." Kira groaned. "How are the others?"

"Hayden's got some bumps and bruises, and needed a few stitches, but other than that he's okay," Trent reported.

"Ryder said they're worried Jiao has a concussion, they took her up to get a cat scan," Conner added. Kira sighed.

"I feel so stupid."

"Why?" Conner asked. "You had no way of knowing what would happen to the mall."

"I said that we should split up." She replied with a weary sigh. Conner sighed and stroked her forehead.

"Again I said, you had no way of knowing what was going to happen. Besides, the three of you being together might not have made a whole lot of difference," he stated, trying to resolve her feelings of guilt.

"I guess." She murmured. Conner leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Just as Conner pulled away the doctor strolled into the room.

"Well look who's awake!" She smiled. "How are you feeling Kira?"

"Like a building fell on me," Kira reiterated the response she had given Conner as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The doctor chuckled.

"Glad to see it hasn't ruined your sense of humor."

"How long before I can leave?" Kira asked.

"We'd like to keep you overnight, just to be on the safe side," the doctor replied.

"Alright." She groaned in reply. "Have you figured out what the damage was on me this time?"

"Well, you're pretty banged up, but luckily no broken bones and hopefully no permanent damage." The doctor offered.

"Yippee," Kira dryly commented.

"I think our biggest concern, and the main reason we're keeping you overnight, is to monitor you to make sure there's no unexpected bleeding."

"What do you mean, unexpected bleeding?" Conner worriedly asked.

"We preformed an MRI on Kira once she was admitted and noticed some internal bruising. We just wanted to make sure it remains just that," the doctor assured him.

"Well why the hell are we just finding this out now?" Conner snapped.

"Conner, calm down," Kira murmured.

"We're not family." Trent answered, cutting the doctor off before she could start.

"So?" Conner replied, still very much upset.

"Hospital policy." The doctor replied sympathetically. Conner sighed and simply glared at the doctor. "Anyway," She continued with a shrug. "We'll do another MRI in the morning to make sure everything is okay... If it is, then we'll discharge you."

"Fine," Kira sighed.

"If you need anything, just have me paged." She smiled at Kira before leaving the room. Kira simply lay back in her bed and sighed again.

"That's bullshit." Conner snarled as the door closed behind the doctor.

"Conner, it's the policy," Kira sighed, "just let it go."

"Bullshit policy." He grumbled kicking his chair back as he stood. "We are your family." Conner stated as he waved his hands between Trent and himself.

"Conner, just let it go," Kira pleaded, exasperated. "It is what it is, nothing we can do about it."

"Yeah sure." He grumbled before storming out of the room. "Bullshit if you ask me." Came his muttered remark before the door swung open. Kira bit her lip as tears stung the back of her eyes and she sank back into her pillow.

"You okay?" Trent questioned as he reached over and squeezed her hand gently.

"Yeah, I guess," she murmured. "Just really tired, and sore, and having him flip out isn't helping matters," she said. Trent squeezed her hand again.

"Anything I can do?" He asked. Kira sighed.

"Would you mind going back to the house and getting me some stuff? Just…so I have less stuff on my mind," she replied. Trent nodded.

"Absolutely," he replied. "Anything in particular?" He asked.

"Some clothes….pjs for tonight since I'll be stuck here, and stuff for tomorrow. Hairbrush, toothpaste and junk. You know, the essentials," she shrugged.

"Of course." Trent nodded. Standing, he bent over and kissed the crown of her head softly. "He'll calm down, don't worry."

"Thanks," she replied as she watched Trent stand up and head towards the door. Once he had left the room, Kira allowed the pent up tears to spill over and down her cheeks. She sighed and curled up on her side and clung to her pillow as the tears continued to flow. Sometime later, Kira was startled awake by the sound of the door to her room closing. Rubbing her eyes slightly, hoping to take away the redness, she sat up to see who it was.

"Oh hey, I didn't realize you were sleeping." Trent commented sheepishly as he moved next to her bed.

"What time is it?" Kira groggily asked, lightly scratching her head.

"Just shortly after 10." He replied as he set the bag of her items next to her bed and resumed his previous seat.

"Oh," Kira murmured. She looked around the room before bringing her gaze back to Trent. "Where's Conner?" She asked.

"You mean he hasn't come back yet?" Came Trent's question.

"Not that I know of," Kira murmured. Reaching over, Trent squeezed her hand again.

"Want me to see if I can find him?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," Kira said, giving Trent a small grateful smile.

"Sure." He grinned. "Be back soon!" Standing, he moved back out of the room. Kira sighed and stared up at the ceiling as she wondered where Conner could've gone off to and why he hadn't come back.

Trent's first stop was the nurses' station, who said that Conner had headed into the elevator and gone up. She wasn't entirely sure what floor though, and Trent set on his way. His first stop was the 9th floor, where the chapel was. Trent stepped off the elevator and followed the signs marking where the chapel was to see if Conner was there. He was surprised to find it bustling with activity, but Conner was nowhere to be found. Sighing, he turned back towards the elevators and headed up to the 10th floor where the maternity ward was. He stepped off the elevator and stepped around a couple walking around the corridor. Trent paused for a moment as he watched the man hold the woman as she shuffled along the corridor in an attempt to induce labor. Trent thought back to when Kendra was about to give birth to Elise and how they had practically circled the entire floor for an hour before her water broke. Trent gave the couple a small smile before stepping around them to continue his search for Conner. As he rounded a corner, he stopped as he spotted Conner sitting across from the viewing room where the newborns were resting. He moved forward slowly and sat down next to his old friend.

"Wouldn't have pegged you to be sitting in the Maternity ward." Trent commented. "I know Kira's in the hospital, but I was unaware that she had given birth." He teased. Conner looked at him and sighed.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Well, you stormed out in a huff and scared the crap out of your girlfriend." Trent replied. "She asked me to come find you... Why are you in the Maternity ward anyway?" Conner fell silent for a few moments.

"I'm here... Because these kids are a reminder of why I haven't run the hell away from this life." He murmured. "Twice, I've gotten people killed, and twice, I've nearly seen the people I love killed..." Running his hands over his face he sighed. "I... I just don't know how much longer I can keep this up." Trent sighed and shook his head.

"Okay," he began, "but walking out on your hospital bed bound girlfriend isn't the solution," he said. "She's upset enough as it is with what happened. You losing your cool and sitting here staring at newborns, when you should be with her, isn't helping matters," he stated.

"I couldn't do anything else Trent." Conner replied as he faced his friend. "It was either get the hell out of there as soon as I could, or grab Kira and run." Carefully, Trent placed his hand on Conner's shoulder.

"I understand, man." Conner sighed and simply continued to stare head. "Will you please come back downstairs?" He questioned after a few minutes. Conner was quiet for a few moments before sighing and running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah," he muttered after a long moment.

"And I know it's a little much to ask... But please don't go off like that again." Trent requested. Conner sighed again and nodded.

"I'll try," he replied.

"Thanks man." Trent smiled. Conner sighed and cast one last glance at the newborns before rising from his chair. They moved back towards the elevator and headed back down to the 8th floor. Once the elevator dinged on the 8th floor, Trent looked over at Conner. "You go on ahead. I'm figuring Kira's probably in need of some food, since she hasn't had anything to eat since breakfast," he offered. This partly came from imagining that Kira was most likely famished, and partly due to wanting to give Conner some time alone with Kira to apologize.

"Thanks man." Conner nodded as he stepped off the elevator. "See you in a bit." Slowly, he moved down the hall back towards Kira's private room. He reached Kira's room and took a deep steadying breath before lightly knocking on the door.

"It's open." She called out softly. Conner slowly opened the door and walked into the room.

"Hi." He commented softly as he stopped near the edge of her bed, not making eye contact with her.

"Hey," Kira quietly replied, unsure what else to say.

"Uh... How are you feeling?" He questioned, feeling lame for asking such a stupid question.

"Tired, sore, hungry," she replied. Conner nodded.

"Trent went off to see about getting you some food," he informed.

"Oh... Great." Kira replied as she picked a piece of lint off her bed.

"I'm sorry." Conner stated softly after a few minutes. Kira was quiet as she simply stared down at a spot on her bed.

"I shouldn't have freaked out like I did." He rambled on. "I... I just don't know how much longer I can keep doing this. Watching people I love die, and nearly losing others to fight this evil son of a bitch."

"And your way of dealing with that was to lose your shit with a doctor who was just following hospital policy, and then storm out without letting me know where you were going or when you'd come back?" Kira asked.

"It was either that or take you from the hospital bed and get the hell out of Dodge as fast as human possible!" Conner shot back.

"Dodge? What dodge?" Kira snapped as she sat up. "The doctor and hospital staff who didn't tell you everything the moment you got here because they had to wait until I was awake?"

"No, of course not! I'm talking about the sociopath who's trying to kill us all while he's destroying the city," Conner hissed. Kira sighed and tiredly rubbed her eyes in frustration.

"Whatever Conner," she wearily spoke. "I've been though hell…a damn building fell on me, and instead of keeping your cool and being here for me, you lost your shit the second something you didn't like came up."

"Kira, I'm _sorry_." He replied as emotion filled his voice. "I dealt with it in a shitty manner, but I have no idea what else I'm supposed to do!"

"Well, here's a tip….don't have a temper tantrum and storm out like a five year old when your girlfriend is on edge enough as it is!" She snapped.

"Okay." He replied quietly. Kira sighed and leaned back against her pillows.

"Where the hell did you go anyway?" She demanded.

"I wandered around for a bit..." He trailed off.

"For three hours?" Kira asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No... I only wandered for about 15 minutes." He admitted.

"And after that?" Kira asked.

"You're gonna think it's stupid." He mumbled. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Just tell me," she sighed.

"I was in the Maternity Ward." He mumbled softly. Kira's eyes stared at him for a moment.

"Why?" She asked, completely at a lost. Conner shifted neviously from foot to foot for a moment.

"Because those kids are a reminder of why I haven't run away from this life." He stated, giving her the same answer he'd given Trent a little while before. Kira was taken aback by his statement. A fresh batch of tears pooled in her eyes and slowly leaked out.

"Oh Conner." She breathed. "Come here." She stated after a moment. Conner let out a breath and quickly moved to his seat by Kira's bed. Carefully, Kira moved over in her bed. "I meant here." She giggled, patting the now empty space beside her. Conner gave her a smile that seemed to be both sheepish and happy.

"Oh," he replied before getting up and moving onto the bed. "

You're such an oaf." Kira commented after she was snuggled up against his side, his arms draped around her carefully. "But you've got a heart of gold... Even if it might be misplaced at times." Conner smiled and kissed her forehead. "Are you okay?" Kira asked after a brief pause.

"Yeah," Conner replied, gently rubbing her back.

"Positive?" Came her follow-up. "Conner... if things like this keep happening..." She trailed off. Conner looked at her.

"What are you saying?" He asked, worry in his tone.

"I need to make sure that you're going to keep your head on your shoulders and not lose it on me." Kira stated vaguely. Conner looked down.

"I can't make any promises, Kira," he honestly replied. "So much has happened and…I can't say for sure it hasn't had its effect on me."

"Will you try?" She asked softly. "I know these past few years haven't been the easiest..." She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "But losing yourself because of it, it'd….it'd be just the same as just giving up," she murmured. "And you can't do that. You're not allowed to do that."

"You're talking as if something is going to happen that will force me to lose my head again Kira." He murmured softly. Kira sighed again and shrugged.

"I don't honestly know," she replied. "I mean I didn't think the hospital policy would be something to set you off, but it did. So, I'm now beginning to think anything that's mildly upsetting could possibly have the potential to make you lose your head," she commented. Conner let out a frustrated sigh in response. "Such as this very moment," Kira commented, hearing his sigh and mentally preparing herself for him to possibly get upset again.

"I'm not going to lose it." He replied. "I was frustrated... Your mom and dad are out in California, and I'm here..." He trailed off.

"I understand you wish the doctor had given you the information, but it's not her fault that policy dictates that information has to be shared with family first."

"This would be so much easier if we were married." Conner grumbled. Kira sighed and tilted her head up to look up at him.

"I thought we already had this conversation….we said we were going to wait," she stated.

"I know we did." He replied. "But I wasn't exactly expecting to run into a situation like this."

"So, what are you saying?" She asked.

"I dunno... Maybe we should reconsider the waiting." Conner shrugged. Kira was quiet for a moment. "…Or not…" Conner muttered, taking her silence as a bad sign. Kira sighed and shook her head.

"I'm not saying I disagree," she assured him. "It's just…really sudden," she stated.

"Sudden? Babe, you sure you didn't hit your head harder than you thought?" Conner teased gently. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Don't call me babe," she muttered.

"Okay Rockstar." He smiled softly.

"Much better," Kira grinned.

"Anyway Rockstar, you really think this is sudden? We've talked about this."

"Yeah, we talked about it in the sense of….like we're…floating around somewhere between engaged and pre-engaged," she said, feeling a little unsure of what exactly they were now that she really thought about it. "You're talking about jumping ahead to the actual married part. That's what's sudden."

"Well, it doesn't have to be a massive wedding..." He replied with a shrug.

"That's not the point," Kira replied. She sighed and paused a moment, trying to choose her words carefully. "It's the same thing that made me want to wait in the first place," she delicately said. "We've only been together at most a couple of months. Even for just a bare bones city courthouse wedding, it just feels too soon." Conner frowned.

"Are you saying you want more time to rethink the decision to even get married ever?" He asked. Kira's eyes widened.

"No, of course not!" She quickly said. She sighed and gently placed her hand on his cheek. "Conner, you know I love you. I just…I don't want to rush anything," she tried to explain.

"How long are we talking?" Conner asked in a defeated tone. Kira sighed and shrugged.

"I don't know," she replied. Conner just stared down at the bed. Kira bit her lip uncertainly. "Are you mad?" She asked.

"I don't know." He replied.

"I'm sorry," Kira softly said.

"It's alright." Conner sighed. Kira sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck as she drew closer to him and placed a kiss on the side of his mouth.

"I still love you Conner." She murmured. Conner tightened his arms around her.

"I know, I love you too," he muttered.

"Stay here tonight?" Kira questioned softly.

"Wasn't planning on leaving," Conner lightly pointed out before giving her a peck on the lips.

"Good." She giggled. Conner smiled and held her close. There was a knock on the door before Trent wandered back in.

"I bring food!" He grinned.

"Finally!" Kira chuckled.

"What the hell took you so long?" Conner teased. Trent rolled his eyes and wheeled the food tray over to Kira's bed.

"Leave it to you two to shower me with gratitude," he jokingly grumbled.

"You love us." Kira giggled.

"I tolerate you," Trent chuckled as he set the bag of food down on the tray.

"Lies!" She continued to laugh. Trent rolled his eyes and sat down in one of the empty chairs.

"Eat your food," he chuckled. They ate in relative silence and once everything had been finished, Trent cleared the mess.

"Feeling any better after your nap?" Trent questioned as he dumped the trash into a nearby bin. Kira sighed.

"Eh," she shrugged. "Feeling kind of sore, and still tired."

"Didn't they give you anything for the pain?" Conner questioned worriedly. Kira gave a small yawn and leaned against Conner.

"Because of the bruising, the doctor said they're hesitant to give me any drugs. I mean, it's no big deal I can handle it. It's just not a walk in the park," she replied.

"If you're sure," He murmured softly, stroking her back gently.

"Mmm," Kira replied, snuggling closer to Conner.

"Tired?" Trent questioned. Kira chuckled.

"Didn't I say I'm tired?" She asked. Trent rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, guess I missed that," he laughed.

"Well I guess we should get going then." Conner commented. "Let you sleep."

"You stay," Kira said, lightly gripping the front of his shirt. Trent chuckled.

"Well, guess that's my cue to peace out," he joked.

"Have a good night Trent." Conner chuckled as he tightened his arms around Kira. Trent chuckled.

"Give me a call whenever you want me to swing by and pick you up tomorrow," Trent commented as he stood up.

"Will do." Kira commented with a small wave. "Thanks for bringing me my stuff."

"No problem, Kir," Trent replied. He leaned over and placed a kiss on Kira's forehead before heading towards the door.

"Night!" Conner called as Trent exited the room. Trent gave Conner a wave and shut the door as he left. Kira gave a sleepy sighed and nestled her head against Conner. "Want me to turn the light out?" Conner asked.

"I guess…if you're tired too," she murmured.

"Well, not exactly tired... But I think you could use some sleep." Conner commented affectionately. Kira smiled.

"So, you're just going to lie in the dark and watch me sleep?" She teased. Conner grinned.

"Pretty much," he replied.

"Oh that's not creepy at all." She giggled. Conner smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Get some sleep." He murmured. Kira sighed and brushed her lips against his neck before closing her eyes. Conner smiled and kissed her cheek before flicking off the light switch that was situated beside the bed.


	17. Long Night's Journey

"You're a sadist," groaned from her slumped spot on the couch as Ryder prodded her awake for the tenth time that night. Jiao was exhausted from staying up the whole night before working on the computer system, not to mention the stress of the day had finally gotten to her. Ryder had been taking his responsibility too seriously. He'd let Jiao dose off for at most five minutes, before waking her, much to Jiao's displeasure.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ryder sighed, rolling his eyes. He grabbed her arms and pulled her up to a standing position to coax her into waking. Jiao whined as he pulled her up.

"You're clearly taking some sort of sick pleasure out of all this," she tiredly grumbled.

"You think I wanna stay awake all night?" He questioned.

"Then why the hell did you volunteer for this?" She grumbled as Ryder directed her towards the kitchen to get her to drink some coffee.

"I don't know, maybe I'm a masochist," Ryder said, rolling his eyes as he sat her down at the kitchen table.

"Clearly." She grumbled. She placed her elbows on the table and held her head up as Ryder poured her a cup of a coffee. "How do we even know I can't sleep?" She asked. "I mean, maybe its one of those things doctors say because of that 0.001% chance that death by concussion sleep happens so that…when it does, they can't be sued or whatever?" She grumbled.

"It's better not to take any chances." He replied. Jiao whined again.

"I'm exhausted!" She continued to whine. Ryder rolled his eyes and put the cup of coffee down in front of her.

"You can sleep tomorrow." Ryder stated.

"I hate you," she grumbled.

"What else is new?" Ryder asked, rolling his eyes. "Drink your coffee," he commanded.

"I don't want it." She continued to grumble.

"The caffeine will make you feel better," Ryder stated.

"Sleep will make me feel better," she countered.

"Well, yes, that's true. But that's not going to happen. So drink the coffee," he said, sliding the mug closer to her.

"Yes mom." She snapped. She sighed and took a sip from the mug. As she set the cup down she felt Tybalt rub up against her ankles. Jiao sighed and looked down at her kitten. "I should probably feed him," she muttered, reaching down to scratch her cat behind his ear before slowly forcing herself up to her feet.

"I can do that if you want." Ryder offered with a shrug. Jiao looked at him.

"Huh?" She asked.

"I. Can. Feed. Your. Cat." Ryder replied, pausing after each word. Jiao blinked a few times to clear her sleep deprived brain.

"I'm exhausted, not brain damaged," she grumbled.

"Sorry." He replied, not the slightly bit sorry. "So is that okay?"

"Fine," she sighed. "There should be a clean food dish in the cabinet over there," she said, gesturing to one of the doors on the counter under her sink. "There are some cans of wet food in there too. He had chicken last night, so…give him the chopped beef or fish," she instructed as she picked up her cup of coffee and took another sip.

"Man, your cat eats better than I do." Ryder commented as he grabbed a food dish and set it on the counter.

"Well in that case, if I find a suspicious amount of his Fancy Feast missing, I'll know who to come after," Jiao muttered. "I'm going to my living room," she informed before shuffling out of the kitchen.

"Okay." Ryder replied, rolling his eyes. He went about opening up the can as a thought occurred to him. "Don't fall back asleep!" He called out.

"You suck!" Jiao loudly groaned. Ryder chuckled and shook his head as he shook out the can's contents into the food dish. As he emptied the can, he was surprised to find that Tybalt had moved between his legs and was purring loudly.

"Well, you're easy to win over," he commented as he carefully stepped around the cat to set the dish down. "Anyway your mother can be that appreciative?" He joked as he moved away to let the cat have at his food. The cat mewed softly before digging into his dinner. Ryder smiled at the cat and left the kitchen to let him eat in peace. He walked into the living room to find Jiao on the couch, chugging down the rest of the coffee.

"Cat's fed," he commented as he plopped down on the other end of the couch.

"Thanks." She replied as she set the mug down. Ryder raised his eyebrows, amused.

"Is that gratitude I hear? Wow, I'm shocked," he teased. Jiao glared at him before lifting her foot and delivering a kick to the side of his leg. Due to her tired state though, the kick didn't have much power behind it and was more like a sharp nudge. Ryder just laughed in response.

"I hate you," Jiao stated before kicking him again. Ryder just continued to laugh.

"You've mentioned that," he replied.

"Yeah, well if it's worth repeating." She stated.

"If you say so," he replied with a shrug. Jiao sighed and rolled her eyes, her head dropping back against the couch. Ryder looked at her and saw her eyes beginning to droop. He reached over and pinched her arm.

"Ow!" Jiao exclaimed, jumping slightly as her bleary eyes glared at him. "What the hell?" She snapped.

"Stay awake." He replied.

"I do recall the doctor saying I could sleep 3-5 minutes at a time," Jiao snapped.

"You can take another five minute nap later," Ryder shrugged.

"But I wanna sleep now!" She whined.

"Yeah, and I want to be in the company of someone who doesn't act like a five year old," Ryder replied. He shrugged. "It looks like neither of us is getting what we want."

"At least put on a movie so I don't have to listen to you piss and moan about how much you hate your life right now." Jiao snarled. Ryder rolled his eyes.

"First of all, you complaining about me pissing and moaning….yeah, remind me to tell you a little story about the pot and the kettle," he commented, shaking his head. "Second of all," instead of continuing, he pointed in front of them where Jiao's TV was. The shattered and broken TV that Jiao hadn't gotten around to getting rid of or replacing since the green ranger destroyed it. Jiao groaned and dropped her head in defeat.

"I forgot about that," she muttered. Ryder couldn't help look at her with a small amount of sympathy.

"You really are exhausted," he commented, a little surprised she'd forget about the TV. Jiao sighed and nodded.

"Understatement of the year," she commented. "I was pretty much just running on fumes when Hayden and Kira dragged me to the mall as it was," she sighed, rubbing her hand over her face tiredly. She was quiet for a moment before sighing again. "I've got a smaller TV," she stated, changing the subject. "If you're willing to move the DVD player from here, then…" She shrugged.

"Alright," Ryder shrugged. "Where's the other TV?" She asked. Jiao was quiet for a moment.

"My bedroom," she stated after a while.

"Oh." He replied softly. Both were quiet for a moment before Ryder forced himself to shrug nonchalantly. "Well, as long as you can be in your room without falling asleep, I don't see why that's a problem," he stated, though a part of him deep down felt like that wasn't entirely truthful.

"Well, with sergeant alertness there, I'm sure I won't fall asleep." She muttered. Ryder chuckled.

"Good," he replied. "In that case, I'll unhook the dvd player," he said as he stood up. Jiao watched him walk over to the broken TV.

"Be careful, or whatever," she muttered, figuring there could still be broken glass around the TV.

"I will be." He replied as he set to work on unhooking the machine. "Why don't you pick something to watch?" He suggested.

"Alright." She nodded. She pushed herself up off the couch and moved over to the two bookcases across the room. The bigger one was filled to the brim with different books while the other, smaller one, had her collection of DVDs. "Since you've got to stay awake as well…any preferences?" Jiao asked as she looked over her selection.

"Comedy?" He shrugged.

"Any objections to Monty Python?" She asked as she went to pull a DVD case out.

"Never seen it." Ryder admitted as he finally finished unplugging the DVD player. Jiao stared at him in shock.

"You've never seen any Monty Python?" She asked. She shook her head. "That's just sad." She pulled out a few more cases from the shelf.

"What's all that?" Ryder asked as he picked the DVD player up.

"Every single Monty Python dvd I own. You are in severe need of comedy education," she stated as she led the way to her room.

"Oh god." He laughed. Jiao dumped the DVDs on her bed before she went to the corner of her room where the TV stand on wheels was situated. She rolled the stand to the center of the room closer to the bed and plugged the TV into one of the outlets in the extension cord.

"You can put the player here," she said, pointing to the shelf in the stand right under the TV.

"Alright." Came his response as he set the machine down and began plugging it back in. As he was working, Jiao went back to her bed to decide which DVD to play first.

"Alright, since you've been bereft of MP your entire life, we might as well ease you into it," she stated. Ryder chuckled.

"Whatever you say," he replied as he finished hooking up the DVD player.

"Might as well start off with Holy Grail," she commented, "it was my introduction to Monty Python when I was a kid."

"How long has this stuff been around?" Ryder questioned. Jiao stared at him, her mouth agape.

"You mean you've never even heard of Monty Python?" She asked. Ryder shrugged.

"I figured that was a given," he replied. Jiao shook her head.

"Loads of people have never seen any Monty Python, but they've at least heard about them in passing," she replied. "And to answer your question, it's been around since like the 1970s. A sketch TV show, movies, the works."

"Sounds cool." Came his reply. "We're all ready." Jiao nodded and moved over to the TV stand to put the DVD in. Once she had finished that, they both maneuvered themselves onto Jiao's bed and attempted to get comfortable. Jiao moved to lie back against her pillows when Ryder stopped her. "Sit up, you'll fall asleep like that," he said.

"But it's comfortable." She whined.

"You can be just as comfortable sitting up," Ryder said. Jiao simply glared at him. Ryder sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, compromise?" He suggested. "You can lean back against this," he said, lightly knocking on the headboard. Jiao sighed and rolled her eyes.

"This is so demeaning," she muttered as she situated two of her pillows against the small of her back to comfortably lean against the headboard.

"You'll get over it." He chuckled. Just as Ryder leaned back against the headboard next to her, Tybalt scurried in the room and jumped up on the bed. Jiao patted her hand on the bed to beckon the cat over to her. Instead of moving over to Jiao, Tybalt moved over closer to Ryder. He walked in circles a few times before settling down next to him. Jiao stared at her cat as he purred and rubbed his head against Ryder's side.

"Traitor," she accused. Ryder chuckled as the cat began to purr loudly again.

"Aw, he likes me," Ryder laughed as he scratched the cat behind the ears.

"Don't be too thrilled. He has instant attachment issues," Jiao sighed as she picked up the remote.

"To random strangers?" He chuckled.

"To anyone who's nice to him," she stated as she turned the TV on. "I got him from an animal rescue center."

"Well, he's a really cute cat." Ryder smiled as he scratched Tybalt behind the ears. Jiao reached over and stroked the cat's back.

"Yeah, and he knows it too," she chuckled as Tybalt's purrs increased at the double dose of attention.

"Obviously." He chuckled. Tybalt turned onto his back, making Jiao give him a belly rub. Jiao chuckled and shook her head.

"Silly cat," she commented as she pressed play on the remote to start the movie. The two fell into a comfortable silence as the movie carried forward, laughing, sometimes hysterically, at certain parts of the movie.

"This is so bizarre," Ryder said in between gulps of airs after an intense laughing fit. "The Knights Who Say Ni? What the hell is that?" He asked. Jiao giggled.

"It's the magic that is Monty Python," she replied.

"Whatever these guys were on when they thought of this, I want some." Ryder laughed. Jiao giggled in response. As the movie continued, Ryder idly noticed that Jiao's laughter was growing softer until he felt her head rest on his shoulder. "Hey," he said, shrugging his shoulder to get her to sit up. "Stay awake."

"Just five minutes, please?" She softly pleaded.

"Sorry." He replied, actually feeling for her. "You gotta stay awake." Jiao whined.

"Three minutes, just three minutes," she said. Ryder sighed and shook his head.

"That's not going to help, you know? I mean if I let you fall asleep, you're just going to feel worse when I wake you up. Your sleep cycle will be interrupted. It's a lot worse than not falling asleep at all."

"I doubt it," Jiao murmured as her eyes drooped.

"Don't make me pinch you again," he warned.

"Ugh." She mumbled. She groaned and forced herself to sit up. Ryder had to reach over and hold onto her to keep her from toppling over the other side and falling off the bed, as her foggy mind had trouble navigating herself.

"Thanks." She mumbled. Ryder nodded.

"Want me to get you another cup of coffee?" He asked. Jiao tiredly shrug.

"Guess that couldn't hurt," she replied. Ryder nodded and paused the movie.

"Can I trust you not to fall asleep while I'm in the kitchen?" He asked.

"I'll try not to." Came her groggy reply.

"I guess that's good enough," he replied. He steadied her against the headboard before getting up from the bed. "I'll be back with your coffee," he said.

"Thanks Ryder." Jiao commented softly as he walked out of the room. Ryder walked to the kitchen, picking up Jiao's mug from the living room on his way. He poured coffee into the mug before grabbing a mug from himself and filling it up. He added some sugar and cream into his cup before picking up both cups and heading back to the bedroom. He sighed when he walked in to find Jiao had dosed off.

"Well, this is a serious blow to the trust in this friendship," he joked as he set the mugs down on Jiao's nightstand. "Jiao," he called out to rouse her as he sat back down beside her. "Come on, wake up," he said, shaking her shoulder. Jiao was unresponsive as she continued to sleep. "Jiao," Ryder spoke again, shaking her harder. "Wake up." Still nothing. "Shit," he breathed as dread began to creep in. "Jiao, come on, this isn't funny, wake up," he ordered, grabbing both of her shoulders and shaking her as he began to panic. Tybalt scurried off of the bed from all the shaking and patted across the room. Ryder barely paid the animal any mind as he quickly scooped Jiao up in his arms and carried her from the room, his mind rushing to any method to wake her. He carried Jiao to the bathroom and laid her down in her tub before reaching over and quickly turning on one of the cold water knobs as far as he could. Instantly, frigid water rained down on Jiao from the shower head.

"What the hell?" Jiao loudly shrieked as the freezing water shocked her awake.

"Finally!" He breathed. Jiao looked up at him as she sat up in the tub, soaked. She swept her wet hair back from her face as the cold water continued to rain down on her.

"What the hell is your problem?" She snarled. Ryder returned her glare.

"My problem?" He shot back, not at all in the mood to deal with her bad attitude after everything that had just happened. "How about the fact that you fell asleep and weren't waking up, leaving me to freak out and have to possibly deal with you dying or something?" He snapped.

"Clearly I wasn't dying!" She snapped back at him.

"Well I didn't know that, now did I?" He asked. "I was shaking you and everything and was getting nothing," he said. Jiao simply glared at him as she blew out some water that had dripped into her mouth.

"Whatever, would you mind shutting the water off?" She lowly growled as she began to shiver under the ice water.

"Fine." Ryder snapped as he turned the taps off. "Happy, your majesty?"

"Overjoyed," she growled as she continued to shiver. She began to stand up in the tub when her foot slid on the wet floor and she began to slip. Ryder reached out and quickly grabbed her around the waist before she could fall.

"You okay?" He asked as he caught her.

"You mean aside from freezing and imagining a hundred and one ways to murder you?" She asked. "Yeah, peachy."

"Well, be slightly grateful that you didn't crack your head open." He muttered. Jiao rolled her eyes as she stood up straight and squirmed out of Ryder's hold.

"Yeah, speaking of that, great job getting the bandage on my head wet," she muttered as she touched the patch of soggy gauze on the back of her head.

"Look, I'm sorry alright!" He stated as he moved away from her. "You had me worried!"

"Whatever," Jiao sighed as she climbed out of the tub. She reached back and pulled the slippery tape off of her head to take the bandage off. Ryder rolled his eyes.

"Your gratitude is truly heart warming," he muttered as he grabbed a towel for her and draped it over her shoulders.

"Did we not just go over this?" She snarled. Ryder sighed.

"I said I was sorry, you know it wouldn't kill you to apologize," he said as he rubbed her arms to cease her shivering.

"Apologize?" She scoffed. "For what?" She asked. Ryder pulled his hands from her arms and glared at her.

"Oh, I don't know, for scaring the crap out of me?" He hissed.

"Oh yes, because it's MY fault." She rolled her eyes.

"It still wouldn't hurt to apologize!" He said. Jiao fixed him with a glare.

"Fine," she growled. "Ryder, I'm so sorry that you freaked out like a little girl just because I was sleeping, and decided the best course of action was to drown me. How's that?" She asked. He leveled her with a similar glare.

"Fine."

"Good," she replied. "Now get out," she said.

"Excuse me?" Ryder asked.

"Get out," she repeated. "Thanks to you, my clothes are soaked and I need to change, again," she stated, thinking back to having had changed out of her blood and dirt covered clothes when they first got to her house. "So get out."

"The last time I left you alone you fell asleep," Ryder argued. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Yeah well thanks to that that icy wake up you just gave me, falling asleep isn't something I'll be doing anytime soon. So, again I say, get out."

"Fine, whatever." He commented, throwing his hands up. Ryder spun on his heel and left the bathroom. Jiao rolled her eyes and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Asshole," she muttered with a shake of her head as she began peeling off her wet clothes. As soon as her wet clothing was off, she stopped.

"Fuck." She groaned. In all her annoyance towards Ryder and the situation, she had forgotten to take into account that she had no dry clothes to change into. She wrapped the towel around herself for some warmth as she looked in her bathroom closet. Jiao cursed again when she saw that her bathrobe was not hanging on the door as she had hoped. She blew out a sharp breath as she realized she had left it in her washing machine in the basement the other morning. She groaned and rested her forehead against the side of the door for a moment in frustration. She took a deep breath as she wrestled with her pride when she realized what she had to do now. "Ryder?" She called out.

"What?" He snapped from down the hall. She sighed again.

"I um….kind of need some help," she spoke. Ryder was quiet for a moment.

"With what?" He heard him uncertainly ask from the other side of the door. Jiao sighed.

"I sort of….need clothes," she said. There was silence for a moment.

"That's an interesting request." He commented. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Look, just go into my dresser. Bottom drawer. There's a bunch of pajama pants and tops," she instructed.

"Need anything else?" He asked, the embarrassment evident in his tone. Jiao's face turned beet red at what he implied.

"You even think about going into the top drawer and I will beat you to death with a toilet brush," she threatened.

"You got it!" Ryder replied, biting back a laugh before heading towards her room. Jiao sighed and wrapped the towel around herself tighter as she waited. A few minutes later, there was a soft knock on the bathroom door. Jiao slowly moved closer to the door and reached for the doorknob.

"Alright, I'm opening the door…you…..close your eyes," she ordered, her face redder than a tomato.

"Will do." He replied quickly as he held his arm out. Jiao sighed again and slowly opened the door enough to reach her arm out. Once her hand felt the clothing, she pulled on it hard and yanked her arm back in.

"Whoa," Ryder commented as he stumbled slightly from her jerking the clothes out of his hands, He kept his eyes closed as she slammed the door in his face. "You're welcome," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Uh huh!" She replied as she dressed quickly. Once she pulled on the red and white pinstripe cotton pants and matching white tank top she gingerly touched the wound on the back of her head to see if she needed to put a new bandage on it. She inspected her fingers for blood and was glad to see the wound was fine as it was. Once she was certain of that, she wrapped her wet hair in her discarded towel and opened the door.

"You can open your eyes now." She commented as the door opened fully. Ryder opened his eyes and looked at her standing in the bathroom doorway.

"Good," he replied as he made sure to look her in the eye and nowhere else, nor to think about the fact that he knew specifically what articles of clothing she wasn't wearing under the clothes he had handed her.

"Movie?" She questioned before moving back towards her room.

"Yeah, right," he commented with a nod as he followed her. Jiao moved back onto her bed and picked the remote up. "The coffees are probably cold by now," Ryder commented as he resumed his spot beside her. Jiao shrugged.

"Whatever," she muttered.

"Do you want me to warm it up?" He offered.

"Nah its fine, I'll drink it cold," she said. Ryder shrugged and handed her one of the cups.

"Thanks." She murmured softly. She took a sip of her coffee and pressed play on the remote. They fell back into silence as they continued to engross themselves in the movie. An hour later, the movie finished up. "Alright, up next….either Life of Brian or one of the Flying Circus DVDs," Jiao commented. Ryder shrugged.

"You're the expert here, you pick," he commented.

"Flying Circus it is then," she replied as she got up.

"Sounds good to me... How are you feeling?" He questioned as she maneuvered around her bedroom. Jiao shrugged as she opened the DVD player and changed discs.

"Same as before, tired, a little sore, and all that," she dismissively replied. "Why do you ask?" She asked as she closed the DVD player and stood back up.

"Just curious." He replied. "Aren't you hungry?" He asked after a moment as Jiao moved back towards the bed. She shrugged as she sat down.

"I guess," she replied. "I've been too tired to really think about it," she muttered.

"A nice meal would help you stay awake longer." Ryder replied. Jiao shrugged again.

"There's stuff in the kitchen," she replied, "although I remember someone pointing out that it is poorly stocked," she added, thinking back to when the guys stayed over after the green ranger attacked her. Ryder shrugged.

"There's probably some place open that's still doing deliveries. Options might be limited, but there's gotta be something," he replied.

"There's a phonebook in the kitchen drawer." She commented. Ryder nodded. He got up from the bed and held his hand out to her. "What?" She asked, blankly staring at his hand.

"You fell asleep when I was just getting coffee. Do you really think I'm going to leave you alone while I look through the phonebook?" He asked. "You're coming with me."

"You suck." She grumbled before pushing herself off the bed. Ryder rolled his eyes.

"You've said that before," he commented as they left the room and headed towards the kitchen. Jiao plucked the phone book out of the drawer and set it down. They debated for nearly 10 minutes before they settled on ordering pizza. Jiao called the 24-hour pizza parlor and placed an order for a large half pepperoni and half tomato and black olive pizza.

"They said it should be here in about 30 minutes," Jiao commented as she hung up the call. Ryder nodded.

"Alright," he replied. The two sat in the kitchen for a few moments unsure what else to do as they waited, when Ryder let loose a small yawn. Jiao looked at him and smirked.

"Ah ha, looks like sergeant alert is crumbling under the pressure of his responsibility," she smugly commented.

"So I'm a little tired." He shrugged in response. Jiao chuckled.

"Aww, poor Ryder," she said in a condescending tone. "Maybe you wouldn't be tired if you didn't butt your nose in my business and volunteered for this," she said. Ryder rolled his eyes.

"Wow, remind me never to do anything nice for you," he said, a little miffed that she couldn't even find an ounce of gratitude for his selfless act.

"Don't worry, I'd rather drink Drano." She replied. Ryder sighed.

"No one's stopping you," he replied.

"Said the guy who dumped me in the shower just because I was taking a little nap," Jiao commented.

"I'll be sure not to do that again," Ryder hissed. "In fact, feel free to go back to bed and fall back asleep," he shrugged. "More pizza for me." Jiao stared at him, surprised he'd say that.

"You don't mean that," she murmured. Ryder shrugged again.

"Don't I?" He asked. "Why wouldn't I mean that? I've done nothing but help you this whole evening and have gotten nothing back from it but your bad attitude. So why should I even bother caring anymore?" Jiao just shrugged in reply.

"Probably for the same reason you bothered in the first place," she softly commented after a moment. Ryder stared at her and shook his head.

"Back then I thought maybe there was an ounce of….I don't know, gratitude, niceness, or something, in you. You're like a personality bipolar…..for the most part you're the biggest bitch I've ever had the misfortune of encountering. And then for a brief second you're…at least halfway decent…only to go back to being a bitch." Jiao tightened her jaw, not caring one bit for what Ryder was saying.

"Golly, tell me how you really feel why don't ya," she sarcastically muttered.

"You know what, I give up." He stated.

"Fine, bye, don't let the door hit ya on the way out," Jiao shrugged.

"Fine." Ryder bit out as he stood. "I'd say that I hope you die in your sleep, but unlike you, I'm a halfway decent person." Jiao stared at him, her mouth falling open in shock at his words.

"Get out!" She snarled, rising to her feet and shoving past him as she headed towards the door.

"Oh there's that lovely sunshine personality again!" Ryder snapped as he followed her. "Tell me Jiao." He spat. "How many friends you got knocking at your door to take care of you? Hmmm?" Jiao had just been ready to yank the door open to show him out when his comment made her freeze. She spun around and leveled him with a steely glare before she swung her fist and punched the side of his jaw. "Ow! You bitch!" Ryder exclaimed, holding his sore jaw. Jiao simply glared at him.

"Get. Out." She growled. Ryder stared at her for a long moment, his hand clenching into a fist at his side. Jiao looked at his fist and raised her eyebrows as if to challenge him. "What, you going to hit me?" She snorted, though she took a couple of steps away from him as she spoke. Ryder stalked towards her until they ended up against the front door. Jiao stared at him, forcing herself to keep her smug expression but also worried what he was about to do. She opened her mouth to demand he back off and leave, but was cut off as Ryder dove in and crushed his lips to hers. She let out a surprised squeak as she felt his hands grip her waist tightly. Ryder moved closer to her, trapping her between the door and him. Jiao pressed her hands against his shoulders, but didn't seem to put any force behind it to try and push him away.

Slowly, one of his arms slipped around her waist and pulled her even closer to him as he deepened the kiss, eliciting a small moan from Jiao. Jiao's arms slid around his shoulders, one hand moving to the back of his neck while the other went to the back of his head as she responded to the kiss. As if on their own accord, Jiao's hips rolled against Ryder's as they kissed. Ryder growled against her lips and tightened his hold on her. Jiao let out a muffled squeak of surprise as she felt Ryder lift her up off her feet and press her up against the door. Once she regained her bearings, she wrapped her legs around him. Ryder ground his hips against her in retaliation-or reaction-—to the rolling of Jiao's hips. Jiao whimpered softly against his mouth as she clung to him. Slowly, the hand that had been resting on her back pushed the back of her top up and pressed against her warm skin. Jiao sighed as she tugged on the band holding his hair back in a ponytail. Ryder barely reacted to her tugs, his lips never leaving hers as she yanked the band off and buried her fingers in his now loose hair. Ryder moaned against her lips as the stroking and scratching Jiao was inflicting on his scalp sent a pulse right through him, centered directly below his waist. He momentarily tore his lips away from hers to take a breath. A dissatisfied whimper escaped Jiao's kiss bruised lips before Ryder's mouth found a new home on her neck. Jiao gasped loudly as he began to kiss and nip his way along her neck.

"Oh god…" She murmured, her hips bucking against his as he nipped at a particularly sensitive spot on her neck. She moaned, her head falling back against the door to give him better access to her neck. Grinning, Ryder's hand crept up her back, his short nails scratching across her skin ever so lightly. Jiao bit her lip to keep from letting a loud moan escape as her eyes drifted shut in ecstasy. Ryder ground his hips against hers deeper as his hand continued to scratch her back. "Ryder…" She passionately whined as her legs tightened around him. Ryder trailed kisses up from her neck to her jaw as he slowly went to make his way back to her lips. Just as he reached the corner of her mouth, a loud knock came from the other side of the door.

"Fuck." He groaned as his head dropped to her shoulder. Jiao let out a shuddering breath as the knock brought her senses back with the subtly of a freight train.

"I…It's the pizza," she murmured in between her soft pants. There was another round of knocks on the door behind her. "Coming!" She called out, her voice shaky and slightly squeaky. She paused as the double meaning of that word hit her. "Jesus.." she muttered, shaking her head. She quickly unraveled her legs and arms from Ryder's form and planted her feet on the floor. "I…need to go get my wallet," she muttered when she saw Ryder had yet to let her go or back away. She was having trouble looking at him and kept her head lowered.

"Sure." He replied, his voice husky. He slowly released her and backed away as another round knocks sounded from the door.

"Hold your damn horses!" Jiao barked. She sighed and blew out a steadying breath as she scurried over to her bag on the coffee table. She quickly snatched her wallet and near ripped it open to find the $20 sitting inside. Ryder stood off to the side and watched her as she moved back towards the door. Her entire body was tense and she kept her eyes straight ahead, not even glancing in his direction. Jiao ripped the door open and glared at the pizza boy standing on the porch.

"It's 15.9-" The delivery boy began, handing the pizza box to her.

"Here, keep the change," Jiao practically snarled as she thrust the bill into his hand and stepped back inside, slamming the door in his face. Ryder bit back a chuckle as she locked the door and hurried back to the kitchen. Ryder followed her, walking up behind her as she set the box down on the table. He felt her tense slightly as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder.

"I think we could do something to build up our appetites before digging into the pizza," he murmured against her skin. Jiao bit her lip as she felt Ryder lightly nudge the strap of her tank top aside as he continued to kiss her shoulder. She let out a shaky breath after a moment and shook her head, quickly pulling his arms off of her and sidestepping away from him.

"I don't…um…no…I'm good, thanks," she muttered as she turned around to face him. Ryder stared at her, a little surprised by her reaction.

"What?" He asked, unable to hide the small amount of disappointment from his tone. Jiao nodded.

"Yeah…um…that…that thing was….weird and…..let's just…" She shakily stammered. She cleared her throat. "I don't exactly know what happened, and I think we should just…forget about it…"

"...Are you serious?" Came his surprised reply. Jiao nodded.

"Uh huh. I mean…we were clearly just on edge and…sleep deprived….and that can make for some pretty crazy stuff. So, let's just leave it at that. A crazy moment that we will never speak of or engage in again," she stammered. "So…um….okay, now that that's settled….I'm just going to eat my pizza in my room. You should probably eat….somewhere else," she said, her voice hitching and wavering slightly.

"Uh..." He stated as she all but fled from the room. Ryder watched her leave and sighed, shaking his head. "Damn…" he muttered, as he was reminded that there was a part of his anatomy that was kind of hoping her reaction to his proposition had been different.


	18. Into Day

Jiao scurried into her room and quickly shut the door. She took a few deep breaths as her mind tried to sort through what had just happened. She leaned against her wall and rubbed her hand over her face as she calmed herself down. Just as she settled her breathing, there was a knock on her door. "Uh…Jiao," Ryder's voice rang out from the other side. "I get you're trying to avoid me at all costs right now, but wouldn't it be easier to eat your pizza in your room…..with your pizza?" He commented. There was a momentary pause before her door opened slightly and she stuck her hand out. "I'm sorry, what part of me looks like a waiter or delivery service?" She heard Ryder asked. "Your pizza's in the kitchen, get it yourself," he said before he moved to the living room to enjoy a few slices of his half of the pizza. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Gosh, with sweet talk like that, it's a wonder why I'm avoiding you," Jiao muttered. She opened her door a little more before plunking back towards the kitchen. Ryder watched her with feigned disinterest from his spot on the couch as Jiao took a plate out for herself and pulled two slices of pizza out. She moved to the fridge and retrieved a bottle of water before picking the plate up and moving back towards her room. As she passed the living room, she paused briefly and looked at Ryder. "After you're done eating, I expect you to be gone," she stated. Ryder snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Um, I'm sticking around to make sure you don't fall asleep, remember?" He pointed out. Jiao narrowed her eyes.

"Weren't you saying not too long ago that you were going to leave?" She asked. Ryder smirked.

"Do you really want to get into what might have gone on not too long ago?" He countered.

"Whatever." She commented dismissively. "I'll call Trent to see if he'll come by. But you? You're gone."

"You're going to call Trent up at nearly two in the morning, and ask him to come over?" Ryder asked in a mock horrified expression. "My goodness Jiao, he's a married man. What kind of girl are you?" He asked, barely holding back a chuckle.

"Fuck you." She snarled viscously. Ryder shrugged and nonchalantly took a bite of his pizza.

"Depending on how you view what happened just a few minutes ago, I'm pretty sure we nearly did," he commented. Jiao glared at him.

"Don't remind me. I'd much rather suppress vomit inducing memories, no matter how recent," she hissed.

"You're the one who brought it up." He shrugged. Jiao's glare intensified.

"You're a pig, you know that?" She lowly snarled before storming towards her bedroom.

"And you're a bitch." He called after her. Jiao tightened her jaw as she made it into her room and violently slammed the door behind her. She set her plate down on the night stand before nearly crumbling down on her bed. She sat on the edge and stared daggers at her closed door as if it were Ryder himself, her heart racing and her blood boiling from all that had transpired in the last few minutes. She suddenly couldn't even contemplate the idea of eating her pizza and just continued staring at the door. After a few moments there was a knock.

"What?" She venomously snarled. She heard Ryder sigh from the other side.

"Look, I'd much rather you keep your door open," Ryder stated.

"Yeah, well I'd much rather you eat shit and die," she retorted. Ryder sighed again.

"Noted, but for my own peace of mind, and so you don't fall asleep again, would you mind keeping the door open?"

"You're leaving." She reminded him.

"We went over this already. No, I'm not," Ryder replied. "Face it, Jiao, its 2am. No one's going to come over here and take over no-sleep-watch." Jiao groaned and stood up. She stomped over to the door and yanked it open.

"There, it's open. Happy?" She snapped, glaring at him.

"I'd be happier if you canned the attitude, but sure." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you have a problem with my attitude?" She asked, crossing her arms. "What was that you said earlier, about a pot and a kettle?" She added, quirking an eyebrow.

"Whatever." Came Ryder's reply. "Just keep your door open, okay?" He said as he turned back towards the couch. Jiao didn't reply and simply turned on her heel and moved back to her bed. She sat back down on her bed and glared at him through the open door before picking her plate up. She turned away from him and turned her DVD player back on as she began to eat, almost out of spite towards Ryder. Ryder glanced over to the room and saw her watching her DVDs. "Well, that's rude," he commented. "I'm sitting here bored and you're in there watching your Monty Python?" He asked. He saw Jiao shrug and not bother to look at him.

"I dun care," she mumbled around a mouthful of pizza.

"Obviously." He muttered. "The least you could do is invite me to join you." Jiao snorted.

"Yeah right," she muttered. "I'd rather have splinters shoved under my fingernails than have you in my room again," she stated.

"Lovely image," was his retort. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Will you shut up? I'm trying to enjoy my show in here. If you're so bored, read a book or something. I mean, assuming you can read," she sneered.

"Oh yes, insulting the intelligence of a Native American." Ryder commented snidely. "As if I haven't heard that before... And I'll have you know that racist comments aren't the best way to make relationships with people." Jiao's eyes widened as she quickly turned to look at him through the door.

"I wasn't making a racist comment," she stated. "I'm insulting your intelligence specifically to you, not due to your ethnicity." She rolled her eyes. "I mean seriously dude, do you really think the Chinese girl over here, part of one of the top five most crapped on and stereotyped races in the world is going to delve out the racism?" She said. "Get over yourself." She turned back to her TV for a moment before pausing and looking back at Ryder. "And as if I want to 'make a relationship' with you," she scoffed.

"Could've fooled me," he shrugged, thinking about what had happened against her front door. Jiao's mouth fell open as yet again, her blood boiled at the mention of what had happened. She set her plate down on her bed and got up, storming out to the living room to confront him.

"What, are you talking about when you grabbed me and forced yourself on me?" She snarled, coming to a stop right in front of him on the couch.

"I didn't see you having too much of an issue with it." He shrugged in reply. "In fact, I'm sure that you were kissing me back." Jiao blushed furiously at that.

"I wa…I was not kissing you back," she stammered.

"What version of events are you remembering? Because I'm talking about what actually happened," he stated. "Not only were you kissing me back, but you were getting quite into what was going on in other ways," he pointed out. Jiao looked away.

"You're a jerk," she quietly stated.

"I'm just stating the truth." He replied with a shrug. Jiao crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, don't get full of yourself. Its not like it meant anything," she said, doing her best to sneer at him but not coming off too convincing. Ryder shrugged again and took a bite of his pizza.

"What, you think it meant something to me?" He retorted.

"I don't see you getting anything else." Jiao stated.

"Why is what I may or may not be getting anywhere else a concern of yours?" Ryder asked, a smirk playing on his lips. Jiao's eyes widened, angry at how he had turned that around on her.

"It's not," she insisted. "Just saying that…" She began, trying to think of what else to say.

"Just saying what?" Ryder asked.

"You're….obviously desperate and…" Jiao stammered.

"Aw, come on Jiao," Ryder stated, "low self esteem is never a good thing. I'm sure some zero self-respect guy would adore you, desperate or not," he chuckled. Jiao stared at him, her eyes wide. Ryder expected her to give some sort of angry retort to that. Instead, she stared at him for a long while, her jaw tightening as her eyes began to fill with tears.

"I want you to leave," she choked out. She blinked, allowing a tear to slip down.

"What?" He questioned as he glanced at her. "Why are you crying?" Jiao quickly wiped at her cheeks, angry at herself for crying in front of him.

"None of your god damn business," she hurriedly stated, her throat tight. "I want you to leave, now."

"No." Ryder shot back. "I'm not leaving."

"No?" She asked, glaring at him through her tears. "What do you mean no you're not leaving?" She demanded. "This is my house; I don't want you here, so get the hell out!"

"And if I don't?" He asked. "Gonna throw me out?"

"If I have to, yes," she declared. Ryder didn't show any signs of moving, which only infuriated Jiao even more. "Get out!" She shrilly ordered, shoving his shoulder, hard. He swayed slightly but didn't falter.

"I'm not leaving." He replied. Jiao growled and grabbed his shoulder as she attempted to yank him off the couch.

"Yes you are," she snapped.

"Clearly that plan of yours is working so well." Ryder stated blandly as he rolled his eyes. Jiao bit back an angry sob.

"Just go!" She snapped, roughly shoving his shoulder again. "You don't want to be here, so why don't you just go?" Ryder rolled his eyes, only to feel Jiao's hands rain down a series of hits to his arms and shoulders in her attempt to get him off the couch.

"Is this supposed to hurt?" He questioned. Jiao continued to hit him. Ryder sighed and brushed her hands away from him. "Okay, now it's just annoying, so stop," he stated.

"Then leave!" Jiao snapped.

"No, I don't think so." Came his reply as he shook his head. Jiao stared at him as more tears slid down.

"Why?" She choked out. "What the hell is wrong with you? You just…enjoy staying here, hurting me?" She accused. Ryder blinked and stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

"I'm hurting you?" He snorted. "You're the one giving the term 'heinous bitch' a whole new level of meaning, throwing punches and weak ass little hits." Jiao looked away and ran a hand over her face. Ryder continued to stare at her for a moment a he processed her behavior. "What, did someone else hurt you and stick around when you wished they hadn't?" He asked. Jiao visibly tensed at that. She slowly looked at him with a steely glare.

"That is another thing that is none of your god damn business," she stated in a cold even tone. Ryder shrugged.

"Alright," he replied, taking another bite of his pizza. "It's not like I even care. Just figured if it was something that got you this upset, you wanted to talk about it or something."

"Yeah, well, even if I did it wouldn't be with you," she hissed. Ryder shrugged again.

"Good to know," he replied. "You should probably go back to your room then; your pizza's probably getting cold."

"And you should get the fuck out." She snapped back. Ryder sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Alright, what's it going to take for you to get it? Do I need to speak louder, or slower?" He asked, actually getting annoyed. He set his plate on the table and stood up to look her in the eye.

"I. Am. Not. Leaving." Jiao glared at him for a moment before her fist swung out and slammed into his jaw. "What the hell!" Ryder exclaimed, holding his jaw. "What is it with you and punching me in the jaw?" He demanded, glaring at her. Jiao shrugged.

"Hey, if you don't want to get punched, then maybe you shouldn't be here," she flippantly replied.

"I'm not leaving, you psychotic bitch!" He snapped.

"Why?' Jiao shouted.

"...I don't know." He murmured after a moment. Jiao stared at him for a moment before trying to shove him again.

"Well that's a dumb answer, so maybe you should just go," she hissed.

"And if I don't?" Ryder shot back.

"Hey, I've punched you twice this evening. I really don't have a problem making it a hat-trick," she replied.

"Go right ahead, psycho." He snapped. Jiao reeled her fist back to punch him again. As she began to swing it, Ryder caught her wrist before she could connect with his jaw again. He held onto her wrist and used it to turn her around, bending her arm behind her. He held her tight enough to keep her from turning around and hitting him again, but not too tight to actually hurt her.

"Let go of me!" Jiao snarled as she tried to pull her arm free.

"Not until you calm the fuck down," Ryder replied.

"I am calm!" She snapped as she fought against him.

"Yeah, right," he scoffed, tightening his hold on her. "Now, just calm down, and quit acting like a rabid hyena, and I'll let you go," he bargained.

"No!" She exclaimed.

"No? So you don't want me to let you go, then?" He asked, a small smirk evident in his tone. Jiao growled and doubled her attempts to get out of his hold.

"You're disgusting," she snarled.

"Oh yeah, sure." He commented as he rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Let go of me!" Jiao demanded. Ryder sighed.

"We went over this already. Calm down and I'll let you go," he stated.

"I don't want to calm down!" Ryder sighed.

"Oh for Christ's sake," he muttered. He let her go and stepped away, just in case her next move was going to result in another punch. "Fine," he spat out. "There, I give up."

"Finally." Jiao snapped as she moved away from him. "Get the hell out." Ryder tiredly rubbed his face.

"Can you honestly tell me you'll stay awake if I leave?" Ryder wearily asked, beginning to grow tired of the stress of the evening.

"Yes, I will." She snarled. Ryder stared at him for a moment, unsure whether or not to believe her.

"Fine, whatever," he said. "Sleep, don't sleep, I really don't care anymore. I'm done."

"I don't remember asking you to start in the first place." She commented stiffly. Ryder rolled his eyes.

"Well, it generally doesn't work like that," he replied. "People don't decide to care about another person because they're asked to," he retorted. Jiao furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh what, you're trying to honestly say you care about me?" She snorted. Ryder rolled his eyes again.

"Why the hell do you think I volunteered for this night of unimaginable hell and didn't just let you be some poor underpaid nurse's problem?" He spat.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out." She snapped. Ryder rubbed his eyes.

"Jesus, if anyone would ever want to induce a stroke, they should just talk to you," he sighed. He looked at her. "Look, we're on this team so, unfortunately, we're in each other's lives. Now, I'm sorry, I'm not some empty robot like you sure as hell seem to be, I tend to care about the people in my life. That's why I volunteered to look out for you tonight, and that's why honestly I don't really believe that you're not going to fall asleep the second I walk out of the door. You'll probably be snoring by the time I finish my joyous dance of being free from your company." Jiao stared at him for a moment as his words sunk it.

"So," she slowly began, "if I understand correctly….I should expect to look out my window and see you doing some sort of dance on my porch the second you leave?" She asked. Ryder paused and looked at her. He let out a small laugh in spite of himself and shook his head.

"That…was so not the point," he replied. Jiao shrugged.

"Hey, you said it," she said. "So, this joyous dance….what, is it like the running man? The Macarena?"

"Running man?" He questioned.

"Running man, as in dorky way of dancing from 80s or early 90s," she said. Ryder shook his head.

"Never heard of it, why don't you show me?" He asked. Jiao snorted.

"Yeah, how about no?" She replied.

"Sad." He replied. "I was looking forward to seeing you dance." Jiao blinked, a little thrown by that statement.

"Wh..what?" She stammered, her cheeks reddening.

"Nothing." He shrugged in reply. "Just saying, seeing a visual of what you're trying to say would be helpful."

"I don't dance," Jiao said, shaking her head. Ryder bit back a smirk.

"You don't?" He asked. "You could've fooled me. I mean you certainly know how to move your hips…" He commented in a tone that told Jiao exactly what he was talking about. Jiao's cheeks became nearly incandescent at that.

"Alright, if you're…staying, then…those sort of comments stop right here and now," she nervously stammered.

"Oh? Why." He questioned.

"Because they're inappropriate, and…childish," she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Childish? Really?" Ryder laughed. Jiao nodded.

"Yeah, you're like some immature little 13 year old getting a little kick out of his stupid innuendos," she said. "Its gross so….just knock it off."

"Alright." He conceded.

"Good," Jiao said. Ryder paused a moment.

"So…wait, you want me to stay?" He asked, finally picking up on what she had said.

"...Yes." She replied after a few moments.

"Why?" Ryder asked. Jiao shrugged.

"I don't know…I guess….if the alternative is possibly falling asleep and dying then…." She shrugged again and looked away. "Whatever, it's not a big deal."

"...If you're sure." He nodded. Jiao nodded.

"I guess I'll just go back to my room then," she muttered. She moved to turn back towards her bedroom when she stopped and looked at him. "Um…I have to ask….why did you do it?"

"Do what? Volunteer for this? Because I kind of thought we went over that already," Ryder sighed.

"No, not that," Jiao said. "Why did you….kiss me?" She asked. He stopped for a moment and thought about it. After a moment, he shrugged.

"Because I wanted to." Ryder replied honestly before turning back towards the couch. Jiao furrowed her brow in complete confusion as she stared at him.

"You wanted to? We were biting each other's heads off, I punched you….and in that moment you wanted to kiss me?" She asked. "Well…that either says something about me and my level of attractiveness at any given moment, or sheds light on some psychological issue you must have that makes you want to kiss whomever is inflicting you pain. You should probably see a professional about that, it most certainly cannot be healthy," she commented.

"Take it as you will." He replied. He sat back down and looked at her. "But since you seem to want to discuss it….I have a question for you, why did you kiss me back?" Ryder asked. Jiao opened her mouth to deny that she had. "And don't even try and say you didn't," Ryder cut in, knowing where she was going. "Not to make any 'gross' comments, as you say, but you weren't exactly unresponsive to the kiss." Jiao sighed and looked down as she thought about that. She moved over to the couch and sat on the other end before shrugging as well.

"Just got caught up in the moment, I guess," she softly replied.

"Ah." He nodded after a moment. The two were quiet for a moment before Jiao moved to get up.

"Okay, I guess...I'll just go then," she muttered.

"So, I guess that means I'm still banished out here in the land of no TV, then?" Ryder asked. Jiao looked at him for a moment.

"Do you really think…um, with what's gone on, that you being in my bedroom is a good idea?" She asked. Ryder looked back at her and did his best not to smirk at that.

"Are you worried that you'll 'get caught up in a moment' again?" He asked. He shrugged. "Okay, I mean, if you feel like having me in your room would be too much of a temptation for you….perhaps its best that I stay here," he idly commented.

"I didn't….no…..I don't find you to be a temptation at all," she replied. She shrugged. "I just figured it'd be unfair to you….if in case you 'want to' again and have to come face to face with cold rejection," she replied.

"Wouldn't be the first or last time I've had to deal with rejection." He shrugged.

"Aw, Ryder, perhaps you should follow your earlier advice about low self esteem," Jiao snickered. Ryder rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to let me in your room or not?" Ryder asked. Jiao shrugged.

"Do whatever you want," she replied as she left the living room.

"Helpful." He muttered. He sighed. "Assuming that you're letting me hang in your room, want me to grab the pizza box and bring it in there?" He asked, looking over at the left over pizza still in the kitchen.

"Sure, whatever" Jiao shrugged as she settled on her bed and turned the DVD back on. Ryder took his chances and figured that to mean he could enter her bedroom. He went to the kitchen and grabbed the pizza pox in one hand. He headed to Jiao's bedroom, grabbing his abandoned plate from the living room on his way. Jiao didn't say anything as he set the box down on the bed and joined her.

The two continued to eat and watch the DVD for some time, occasionally laughing at the skits, neither entirely sure what to say to each other. The silence was broken when the first DVD of the set finished and Jiao got up to put the next one in.

"So, are you going to tell me about whatever it was that made you cry earlier?" Ryder asked as he slid another slice of pizza on his plate. Jiao looked at him and shrugged.

"It's nothing….guess I was just feeling emotional from being tired and stressed."

"That's convincing," Ryder sarcastically replied. Jiao sighed as she pressed the close button on the DVD player and moved back to the bed.

"It's no big deal. Before I left New York, I was in a relationship, it ended badly," she replied. "Well, that's putting it mildly, but…it's no big deal. It happens," she dismissively replied. Ryder could tell there was more to it than that.

"Well... If you ever want to talk..." He stated with a shrug.

"There's nothing to talk about," Jiao insisted. "I got involved with a jerk, didn't realize it, he hurt me, it was over. There, not much else to it."

"When you say…he hurt you," Ryder carefully began. "Um…you mean, physically?" He asked. Jiao looked at him and snorted.

"No," she replied, seeming to chuckle at the mere idea of that. She shook her head and went about grabbing herself another slice of pizza. "No, he didn't hit me. Frankly, it probably would've been easier if he had," she muttered. Ryder raised his eyebrows, a little appalled by that notion. Jiao rolled her eyes. "All I mean is….if it was physical…..maybe I would've spotted it right away and been done with it. Instead of continuing to trust the wrong person and allowing him to hurt me again," she cryptically explained before biting into her pizza.

"Ah." came his reply with an understanding nod. Jiao snorted again.

"I know what you're thinking….you're probably pitying the poor bastard who had the misfortune of being involved with me, right?" She asked. Ryder shrugged.

"I wasn't thinking that at all," he replied.

"Uh huh." She commented.

"If you must know, I was actually thinking it sucks that someone hurt you enough to make you…well….be how you are," he stated. Jiao looked at him, quickly looking a bit of tomato sauce that had smeared on the corner of her mouth as she swallowed her bite of pizza.

"What makes you so sure 'how I am' is because of that? This could just be how I naturally am," she replied.

"I doubt that." He replied.

"Believe whatever you want," Jiao replied. "But I'm telling you, one has nothing to do with the other. I've always been this way." Ryder shrugged.

"Maybe to some extent. I'm sure you've probably always been more of an independent person or whatever you call someone who seems to have little interest in friendship. But it's pretty obvious whatever happened in the past magnified that and led to your other….charming qualities," he said. Jiao stared at him for a long moment, a little taken aback by that. She cleared her throat and looked away.

"Well, like I said, believe whatever you want," she replied. She hit play, indicating she was done conversing. Over the following few hours, the two continued to watch Jiao's "Flying Circus" as they finished their pizza. The sun was beginning to rise by the time they finished watching the last DVD. Jiao sighed as she hit stop on her remote.

"Okay, I'm inches from fading here," she stated as she slumped against her headboard. Ryder shook his head.

"Just a few more hours, then you can sleep," he replied. Jiao gave off a sound that seemed to be part whine and part groan. "I know it sucks... But you're almost there." He commented softly. "How about I make us some more coffee?" He suggested. Jiao sighed and shook her head.

"No, no more coffee. I think if I drink one more cup I'll be immune for life," she said. She tilted her head to look at him. "Just let me rest my eyes for five minutes, please?" She pleaded.

"Alright." Ryder agreed after a few minutes. Jiao looked at him, surprised he had actually agreed.

"Seriously?" She asked. Ryder sighed.

"Yeah," he replied. "But just five minutes, and if you're not reacting when I wake you up, I reserve the right to toss you in a cold shower again," he said. She paused for a moment before nodding.

"Fine." She agreed. She settled down comfortably in bed and sighed. "So you're just going to sit there for five minutes, watching me sleep?" She asked around a yawn. Ryder shrugged.

"It's just five minutes," he replied. Jiao shrugged.

"Whatever," she said as she let her eyes drift shut. A few seconds later he heard Jiao's breathing even out as she fell asleep. She groaned loudly five minutes later. She had been in the grips of the beginning of a good sleep when she felt Ryder shaking her arm.

"Come on, it's been five minutes," she heard Ryder murmur in her ear. Jiao groaned and shook her head.

"No, it hasn't," she whined.

"Sorry, but it has." He stated softly. Jiao sighed as she felt her heart flutter at what she could only imagine was Ryder's breath against her skin as he spoke. A part of her felt like she should be angry at the thought that he was close enough for his breath to tickle her skin, but another part of her was just hoping he'd talk again so the fluttering would continue.

"Uh uh," she quietly insisted, the whine still evident in her tone as she kept her eyes closed. "I just fell asleep a second ago."

"Nice try." He chuckled. "Come on, time to wake up."

"Fine, I'm awake, leave me alone," she pouted as she turned her head away from where she figured he was. She felt Ryder's breath hit her upturned cheek as he chuckled.

"Sure, as soon as you open your eyes and sit up," Ryder replied. "Come on," Jiao heard him coax. "Either you get up on your own or I find another way to wake you up," he softly threatened. Jiao groaned.

"You toss me in the shower again and I'll shove my loofah up your ass," she grumbled. Ryder chuckled.

"Well, I guess I'll have to think of another way to wake you up then," he commented._ 'Like what?' _The voice in the back of Jiao's head questioned.

"You do that," she yawned as she turned her head to drift back to sleep. She idly felt the bed shift under her through her drowsy senses. She felt Ryder place his hands on the bed on either side of her before she felt the tickling sensation of his warm breath on his chin. Jiao simply sighed, more than happy to let her heart's fluttering from before lull her to sleep. After a few moments, instead of feeling the embrace of slumber, Jiao felt the just as familiar feeling of Ryder's lips against hers. Jiao's eyes snapped open as he pressed his lips against hers. Ryder pulled back when he saw her eyes open and smirked.

"Wow, and here I thought that only happened in movies," he joked.

"What the hell are you doing?" She questioned. Ryder shrugged.

"Waking you up," he replied.

"By kissing me?" Jiao hissed.

"Well, since you were against the shower/cold water approach, I had to improvise," Ryder replied.

"Obviously." Came her response as she rolled her eyes.

"Come on, sit up," he said as he sat up straight. "Don't want you falling back asleep or anything," he said. Jiao sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Guess not, since I certainly don't want you kissing me again," she sneered as she slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position. Ryder bit back a comment as he moved away from Jiao, letting her rise. Jiao groaned as she groggily sat up, drawing her knees up and pressing her forehead against her legs.

"I'm so exhausted," she grumbled.

"It's just a few more hours," Ryder replied. Jiao let out a small pathetic whine.

"That's easy for you to say. You didn't stay up two nights in a row," she commented.

'We've been over this." He replied. Jiao sighed.

"How much of a difference is a few hours going to make?" She asked, tilting her head against her knees so the side of her head was still resting against her legs as she looked at him. "I mean, I'm sure I'm out of the….concussion danger zone by now," she said. Ryder regarded her bleary, bloodshot, sleep deprived eyes and sigh.

"I'd rather play it safe," he replied. "You've made it this far, you can stay awake for a few more hours."

"Ugh, you suck." She grumbled. Ryder rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you just say 'you suck' and 'I hate you' into a tape recorder and just play it every five seconds, since you keep on repeating yourself," he stated.

"I might just do that." She snapped back. Ryder sighed.

"I'm just going to pretend the return of your crabby attitude is because you're so tired," Ryder said.

"Do whatever you gotta do," she tiredly mumbled. Ryder sighed and got up from the bed.

"Come on, maybe moving around or something will help you stay awake," he said, holding a hand out to her to encourage her to get up from the bed. Jiao narrowed her eyes.

"Dude, it's taking what very little strength I have to just sit up. Do you honestly think I can just hop up off bed like nothing's wrong?" She hissed.

"Maybe if you stopped putting so much energy into your bad attitude, you'd have more to use in other facets of your life." He countered. Jiao simply sighed again. "You're not the only one who's exhausted. Guess what, I couldn't do a little five minute cat nap like you," he pointed out.

"Too bad, so sad," she insincerely grumbled. Ryder sighed.

"Alright, Jiao….keep up the bitchitude and I'll haul your ass back to your shower just on general principal," he commented, crossing his arms. He was not at all pleased that his letting her take her five minute nap was now being met with the return of her horrendous attitude.

"You wouldn't dare." She snapped. Ryder shrugged.

"Hey, it'll energize you," he flippantly replied. "I'll do it if I have to."

"Doubtful." Came her response. Ryder stared at her for a moment and shrugged.

"Alright then," he said before swiftly ducking down and scooping her up off the bed.

"Wh…Ryder! Put me down!" Jiao shrieked as he carried her out of the room.

"Don't think so." He replied. He carried her down the hall to the bathroom, nudging the door open with his foot as he walked in.

"Okay, Ryder….haha, very funny…..you can put me down now!" Jiao demanded.

"And if I don't?" Ryder countered.

"I'll kill you!" Jiao snarled, squirming in his arms as he carried her closer to the tub.

"And if I do put you down?" He questioned as he held her over the tub.

"I don't kill you," Jiao spat, glaring up at him.

"Oooo... Convincing." He snapped back at her. Jiao opened her mouth to toss out another threat but was cut off by Ryder all but dumping her in the tub and turning on the cold shower tap in one fluid motion.

"No!" She screamed as she scrambled to get out of the way of the spray. Ryder looked up at the origin of the spray and smirked at the realization that it was a detachable showerhead. He slowly reached up to have the spray get a better aim at Jiao. "Don't you dare!" She exclaimed, catching sight of what he was planning.

"Too late." He laughed as he turned it on her. Jiao shrieked, pressing her back against the farthest corner in the tub to get away from the spray.

"You asshole!" She screeched, throwing one arm over her chest and another up in front of her face in an attempt to shield herself from the frigid water.

"Awake yet?" He questioned with a smirk. Jiao glared at him through the spray from the showerhead in Ryder's hands.

"Actually, I am!" She snapped before lunging forward and throwing herself against Ryder, twisting the showerhead out of his hands to spray him.

"Gah!" He yelled as he stumbled backwards.

"Ha! How do you like it?" She sneered as she continued to aim the water at him.

"You're the one ruining your bathroom!" Ryder commented as he wrestled the shower head away from her. Seeing Ryder had the showerhead back, Jiao figured the only sensible course of action left was to cut the ammunition off at the source.

"It was worth it!" She snarled as she turned the cold water tab off.

"Uh huh, sure it was." He commented as he tossed the no longer useful item back into the tub.

"Be glad I didn't reach for the loofah," Jiao hissed, going back on her earlier threat. Ryder simply glared at her for a moment before his eyes unconsciously raked over her. Her now soaking pajama pants and tank top clung to her body, leaving very little to the imagination. "What?" Jiao demanded at Ryder's gaze as she looked down at herself. Her face blushed furiously as she quickly drew the edge of her shower curtain up to cover herself from his gaze. "Quit looking, pervert!" She snapped.

"Wow, original." He commented as he rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, asshole," she hissed, maneuvering the side of the curtain around herself to provide some warmth to her shivering body.

"Where are your towels?" he asked.

"Closet," she muttered, tilting her head to the door by the sink. Standing, he moved to the closet and grabbed a few towels before tossing one to Jiao. Jiao pulled the towel behind the curtain and wrapped it around herself. "Wonderful, I have to change out of wet clothes again," she grumbled.

"Well at least you have clothes to change into," Ryder retorted. Jiao scoffed.

"Gosh, maybe you should've thought about that before you started playing with the showerhead, dickwad," Jiao shot back.

"Whatever, bitch." He rolled his eyes.

"Don't make me suddenly decide you need a serious dose of loofah where the sun doesn't shine," Jiao hissed as she drew the curtain back and stepped out of the tub.

"Right, because that's clearly the only solution you have to everything." He snapped.

"Oh, you mean unlike you, who's go-to solution is dumping girls into subzero water?" She snarled. She shook her head. "Jesus, and here I was nearly believing that crap you were spewing…" She paused a moment as sleep deprivation had affected her sense of time, "earlier, about ooohh you care about me, I'm in your life, blah blah blah," she sneered, rolling her eyes. Ryder shrugged.

"I told you I was going to do it, it's not my fault you didn't believe me and took it upon yourself to challenge me," he replied. Jiao shook her head and shoved past him to leave the bathroom.

"Whatever, asshole, I'm going to change," she grumbled.

"What am I supposed to do about clothes?" Ryder demanded. Jiao shrugged.

"I'm sorry, how exactly is that my problem?" She asked as she turned on her heel and left the bathroom. Ryder followed her.

"Oh, well in that case I guess I'll just sit on the couch in my wet clothes. Since it's not your problem," he commented.

"You will do no such thing." She snarled.

"Well what else am I supposed to do? Walk around naked?" He snorted. Jiao blushed at his comment. Ryder caught a glimpse of her flushed face and smirked. "Unless, of course, you want me to walk around naked?" He teased. Jiao's mouth fell open at that.

"The only way I would ever want to see you and your ugliness naked, is if I wanted to make myself go blind," she hissed.

"I can help with that." He grinned. He let the towel he was holding slip to the ground before he moved to pull off his wet shirt. Jiao's blush increased tenfold at that. A part of her wanted to stop him, insult him, or even run off to her room and barricade the door, but another part of her couldn't stop herself from staring transfixed as his hands took hold of the hem of his shirt. Slowly, he pulled the wet material up and over his head. Jiao couldn't help the small gasp that flew out of her as Ryder's sculpted torso was revealed. He smirked as he heard her gasp. Letting the shirt linger a moment longer, he finally pulled it over his head and tossed it down. "So, any sudden cases of blindness I should know about?" He asked, his smirk widening. Jiao tore her eyes away from his body at his words and up at him.

"Bite me, asshole," she attempted to sneer, playing off her earlier ogling as much as she could. Ryder's smirk broke out to a full out grin.

"If you insist," he commented. Jiao's eyes widened and she took a step back.

"You even think about coming near me, I will kill you and make damn sure the body is never found," she threatened.

"Uh huh, sure." He laughed. Jiao took another step back, ending up bumping into the wall.

"Just put your shirt back on, alright?" She ordered. "I'd rather not blow chunks all over my carpet."

"Naw... It's wet." he replied.

"I don't care," Jiao replied, forcing herself to keep her eyes on his face and not anywhere below his neck.

"Not happening." Ryder shrugged. Jiao looked away and rolled her eyes.

"Fine, then pick your towel back up and cover yourself with that," she demanded.

"I'll think about it." He agreed after a moment. Jiao glared at him.

"Ugh, you're such a pig," she spat before storming towards her room.

"...Right." He rolled his eyes after a moment. He sighed and went after her. Just as he reached her door, Jiao threw a t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts in his chest.

"Those are my brother's, I guess you can wear it until your clothes dry," she sneered before slamming her door on his face.

"How nice of you." He snapped as he stood there. "Any reason why you didn't mention having these before?" He asked.

"Wasn't sure I wanted you infecting my bro's clothes," she snapped back. "Ended up deciding it was better than having to see the vomit inducing sight that is your body."

"Thanks." Ryder commented sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and headed back to the bathroom to change, picking up his shirt from the floor on his way. He grimaced slightly as he shed his boxers and pulled the shorts over his naked lower half. He momentarily thought about not wearing the t-shirt just to bother Jiao, but decided against it and pulled the shirt on. Once he was in dry clothes he picked up his discarded clothes and left the room. "Where's your dryer?" Ryder called out as he approached Jiao's bedroom door.

"Basement,' she succinctly yelled back.

"Thanks." He called. "Bitch." He muttered under his breath. He went down to the basement and loaded his wet things into the dryer. Once the dryer was turned on, he ventured back upstairs to find Jiao's door was still shut. "You're still changing?" He incredulously asked.

"No, I just don't want you in here," she shot back.

"You need me in there." He reminded.

"No I don't," she insisted. "Now, leave me alone," she ordered.

"Whatever... Enjoy not waking up." Ryder commented dismissively.

"Blah blah blah," Jiao replied with a disinterested sigh. Ryder rolled his eyes.

"Will you at least keep your door open again, then?" He asked. Jiao didn't reply at first. A few moments later the door was roughly yanked open to reveal Jiao dressed in black yoga pants and a white undershirt.

"Fine, there, happy?" She snarled, glaring at him.

"Better." He snapped.

"I aim to please," she sarcastically replied, rolling her eyes before strolling back to her bed.

"Whatever, just don't go to sleep," he grumbled as he moved over to the couch.

"Oh wow, I so didn't get that piece of advice the first 500 times you said that since you've been here. Thanks for saying it, yet again," she snorted.

"Whatever." Came his response. Jiao rolled her eyes and sprawled out on her stomach as she grabbed a book from her nightstand.

"How much longer 'till I'm rid of you, anyway?" She asked as she flipped the book open to where she had dog-eared the last page she'd read.

"Four godforsaken hours." He responded.

"Fuck," she groaned.

"You're telling me." Ryder agreed. Jiao sighed and began to read, tuning Ryder out. Ryder rolled his eyes as he moved over to Jiao's bookcase to find something to entertain himself. Jiao's collection of books was quite expansive and gave Ryder a wide variety to choose from. After some browsing he ended up picking up a Stephen King novel he had read a few times in the past and moved back to the couch. The house was quiet as both Jiao and Ryder read and ignored each other. The only sounds emanating from either were the occasional yawns from both, Jiao's sighs of displeasure, and the sound of pages turning. Ryder found himself in a pattern of occasionally looking over to Jiao's room to make sure she was still awake. He would read too pages, and glance up as he turned the page. This continued for an hour before he heard Jiao heave a heavy sigh as she sat up in her bed. Ryder idly glanced up to see her sitting on the edge of her bed, tiredly rubbing her face for a few moments before getting up. She made it as far as her door before she stumbled slightly, bracing herself against the doorframe. "Hey, you okay?" Ryder asked, setting his book aside and getting up.

"Yeah…just….limbs apparently on a delay of some sort," she tiredly murmured.

"Does that happen normally when you don't get a lot of sleep?" He questioned. Jiao shrugged.

"Never done two days in a row of no sleep," she murmured as she used the doorframe to push herself up straight. "Most I've ever done is about maybe a day and a half, while cramming for finals. After that I'd usually pass out from sheer exhaustion over a text book," she chuckled. She took note of Ryder's concerned look and dismissively shook her head. "Its nothing, probably just my sleep deprived mind having trouble sending out those important neurological like 'walk' and 'stand'," she joked.

"...Right." He replied slowly. Jiao sighed and carefully moved out of her room, transferring her grip on the doorframe to the wall. "Do you need something?" Ryder asked, feeling a little sympathetic to the trouble she seemed to be having. Jiao shook her head.

"I'm just going to splash some cold water on my face. Words were starting to blur together while I was reading," she tiredly mumbled. Ryder nodded.

"Need some help?" He offered. Jiao snorted.

"I've seen your way of 'helping' when cold water's involved. Really not in the mood to have to change again," she replied.

"Just thought I'd offer." He muttered. Jiao sighed and continued walking along the wall for a few more steps before pausing.

"Alright, fine, some help would be appreciated," she hesitantly muttered. She realized that using the wall for support wouldn't work once she got into the bathroom. Falling down and smacking her head on the tile floor didn't seem like a wise idea.

"Alright, hold on." Ryder stated as he moved towards her. Jiao simply nodded in response. She felt Ryder move up next to her and wrap his arms around her waist to hold her up. "Alright, lean against me," he stated as he began to help her the rest of the way.

"Kay." She murmured as she leaned against him. Ryder felt as if he was hauling some drinking buddy out of the bar, with the way Jiao was stumbling against him as they walked.

"Almost there," Ryder commented. He tightened one of his arms around her while the other pushed the bathroom door open as he walked her in.

"Thanks," Jiao muttered as Ryder helped her to the sink. She turned the cold water tab on all the way and cupped her hands under the faucet as she leaned over the sink, splashing the water on her face a few times. Ryder carefully reached around her and grabbed a towel so she could dry her face. Jiao nodded her thanks as she patted her face dry and set the towel down on the edge of the sink.

"Feel better?" He asked. Jiao sighed and leaned against him.

"A little, I guess," she muttered. Ryder unconsciously rubbed her back. "Don't do that," she sharply muttered. Ryder quickly stopped.

"Sorry," he muttered. Jiao sighed again and shook her head against his chest.

"Sorry, didn't mean to be like….unappreciative or whatever, but that'll make me feel relaxed…which will only make me feel sleepier," she murmured. Ryder expelled a slight chuckle.

"Wow, I really do believe you get nicer the more tired you are," he commented. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Glad you find the silver lining in my discomfort," she sighed.

"Always." He chuckled. Jiao rolled her eyes again.

"I've noticed that," she commented. Ryder chuckled again as he helped her walk back out of the bathroom. Jiao simply followed his lead and stumbled alongside him. She blinked when she realized he was leading her past her bedroom. "Where are we going?" She tiredly murmured.

"Kitchen," Ryder replied. "I know I need some coffee, and it probably would do you some good too," he explained.

"Guess it couldn't hurt," Jiao groggily agreed.

"Glad to see you agree." He teased gently. Jiao merely grunted in reply as Ryder brought her into the kitchen. "Think you can sit up on your own while I make a fresh pot?" He asked.

"I think so, yeah," she replied while Ryder helped her over to the kitchen table.

"Okay." Carefully, Ryder set her down into the chair. Once Jiao was seated, Ryder slowly pulled his arm off of her. He stood by a moment to make sure she was holding herself up on her own alright. Jiao seemed to be doing okay, with just the need to support her head by her arm on the table. Ryder slowly stepped back, still needing to be sure, before heading over to the empty coffee pot to give it a quick rinse. He let the water run over the pot while he changed filters in the machine and loaded it up with fresh coffee grounds.

"How much longer until sleep?" He heard Jiao mumble from the table. Ryder shut the coffee grounds compartment before checking his watch.

"About another two and half hours," he replied. "Don't think about it though, it'll only make you more tired."

"I don't know if that's even possible," Jiao commented as Ryder finished rinsing out the coffee pot.

"Well, just think... Once you make it that far, you can sleep all you want." He replied. Jiao gave a soft moan at that idea.

"Can't wait," she murmured. Ryder flipped the coffee maker on and simply focused on waiting for the pot to fill and not on the slight sexual connotation the moan, her tone, and her words brought to mind.

"You should probably watch another movie," Ryder commented in an attempt to clear his head. "You know, so you're focused on that, and the time will go by quicker." Jiao nodded.

"Probably," she agreed. "Yeah, I think I'm too out of it to even try to go back to reading," she added.

"Glad you agree," Ryder commented as he pulled two coffee cups out of Jiao's cabinet.

"I aim to please," Jiao murmured. She sighed and tiredly rubbed her eyes. "No offense to the geniuses of Monty Python, but I think I'm going to need something more….intense or explosive to stay awake," she idly commented. "You have anything against action movies?" She asked as Ryder began pouring coffee into the cups. Ryder chuckled a bit to himself at Jiao's passive way of inviting him back to her room.

"I'm a guy... We live for action movies." He grinned. Jiao chuckled.

"Well, just wanted to run it by you just in case. I'd hate to go by any generalizing stereotypes or whatever," she playfully replied as Ryder brought the two cups over to the table.

"I don't offend easily." Came his reply as he sat down across from her. Jiao shrugged.

"Well, you did take the shot against your intelligence the wrong way earlier…last night….whatever….the wrong way, figured I'd play it safe," she commented as Ryder slid one of the cups over to her. Ryder chuckled and shook his head.

"Okay, seriously, I'm beginning to think this exhausted version of you is a lot more likeable than your usual self," he commented as he took a sip of his coffee. Jiao rolled her eyes and took a sip from her cup.

"Whatever just don't using this whole 'likeable' notion as a reason to kiss me again," she murmured.

"I won't." He stated.

"Fabulous," Jiao replied as she took another long sip of her coffee. Under the table, a soft meow sounded as Tybalt rubbed up against the side of Jiao's leg. Jiao looked down at her cat and smiled. "Hey, where you been hiding, furball?" She lovingly cooed as she reached down to pet him.

"Does he need to be fed again?" Ryder questioned as he took a long sip of his coffee.

"I usually refill his dry food dish around this time in the morning so he can munch here and there during the day," Jiao replied as she scratched Tybalt behind the ear. "Don't I, you fat little furball?" Jiao commented down to the cat, her tone very close to 'baby-talk'.

"Doesn't seem that fat." Ryder stated. Tybalt strolled over to Ryder and purred as he rubbed up against his leg. Jiao laughed.

"Looks like he heard you," she commented.

"Apparently." He chuckled. "I guess I can feed you." Came his comment, directed at the small pet. Tybalt continued to purr against Ryder as he set his cup down and shifted his chair back to get up.

"Kibble's in the pantry," Jiao commented, pointing over to the long cabinet door by the back wall of the kitchen next to Tybalt's dry food and water dish.

"Do you need me to refill the water part?" Ryder asked as he picked up the long dual compartment dish. There was barely an inch of water left in it.

"Oh yeah, I didn't realize he'd drank it all," Jiao replied as she took another sip of coffee. "Thanks," she added. Ryder nodded and brought the dish over to the sink. He filled one of the compartments with water before taking the dish back to where it was and getting the bag of kibble from the pantry.

"Anytime." He replied. Jiao watched as Ryder bent down and shook out some kibble into the empty compartment of the dish. The moment Tybalt heard the sounds of kibble being shaken out; he quickly trotted over to the dish.

"Suck." She teased the cat. Ryder chuckled and petted the cat's back as he finished filling the dish.

"Your little guy sure is easy to win over," Ryder replied as he put the kibble back in the pantry. Jiao chuckled.

"Oh yeah, just give him food and give him a good belly rub or scratch behind the ears and he'll love you for all eternity," she commented as she took the last sip of her coffee.

"It's good to have a pet." Ryder stated as he moved back to the table. Jiao nodded as she watched her cat munch on some kibble.

"I always wanted a cat," she commented. "We couldn't have one when I was growing up though, dad was allergic."

"That's always hard." He agreed.

"Yeah. I think each of us kind of chose buying a pet to be part of the whole 'woohoo, out of mommy and daddy's house' thing, since the most we could have before were fish or birds. My brother got the sweetest Saint Bernard you could ever meet when he went out on his own, and my sister got herself the most demonic little Shitz Tzu," she commented.

"I hate Shitz Tzu's." Ryder shuddered. "A glorified purse dog that yips all day long."

"I know, right!" Jiao exclaimed. "She brought him over to my dorm one weekend she went out of town. The demon dog yipped the whole night…well, when she wasn't busy eating up any piece of paper she could get to, or causing me a fortune in carpet cleaning."

"Awful creatures... This girl I dated once had one... She carried it around _everywhere _in her purse... I felt so sorry for that dog." Ryder laughed. Jiao laughed.

"Seriously? That's insane!" She said. "I mean the only reason I could imagine lugging your pet every single place is because you want the attention from random people coming up to you and oohing and ahhing over the hideous little thing. And that's just sad," she commented.

"No kidding." He responded.

"I mean, lugging a kid around I can get…..you know, since they're a little more high maintenance and you can't exactly leave them alone at home for hours," Jiao commented. Ryder blinked.

"Wait, are you trying to compare a child to a pet?" He chuckled, a little baffled by that.

"Well, I mean, not in a bad way," Jiao said. "I just mean that they're both these dependant little creatures that need love, attention, and food of course. Though personally, I prefer pets to kids," she shrugged.

"You don't like kids?" Ryder asked. Jiao shrugged.

"I like 'em enough, I guess," she said. "My sister-in-law's pregnant, so sure I'll be the cool aunt and all that. But that's like…other people's kids, that's fine," Jiao replied.

"Not your own." He nodded.

"Exactly," Jiao replied. "I mean one of the factors of moving across the country was that once sis-in-law pops the kid out, she and my brother won't have the luxury of Auntie Jay the babysitter on date night or whatever," she snickered.

"Evil." Ryder laughed.

"Perhaps," Jiao giggled, "maybe I've in turn doomed the little bugger to having auntie Li as a babysitter," she paused mid-thought, deep in thought, "shit….poor kid," she muttered.

"I take it your sister isn't any better with kids than you are?" Ryder asked. Jiao snorted.

"The one and only time my sister ever babysat me, she locked me in a closet for three hours. I didn't get out until my brother got home and heard me crying."

"...Wow." Came his response. Jiao nodded.

"Well, you were wondering yesterday how long I've had that whole…claustrophobia thing, there's your answer," she replied. Ryder raised his eyebrows.

"Wow," he said again as he finished off his coffee.

"Uh huh." She agreed. She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Still tired?" Ryder asked. Jiao chuckled.

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" She replied. "The coffee did help though, thanks," she added.

"You're welcome." He chuckled. The two were quiet for a moment before Ryder stood up and took the two empty cups to the sink. "So…movie?" He asked as he set the cups down.

"Is that your way of saying you've grown weary of my scintillating conversation skills?" Jiao teased.

"No... We can still talk; I figured you just wanted to watch a movie." He stated. Jiao giggled.

"Relax, Ry, I was kidding," she replied as she stood up. "Oh sweet, no more jelly legs," she commented to herself as she stretched slightly, bringing her arms up over her head.

"That's good." He smiled.

"Yup," she replied. "Alright well, time to pick a movie," she commented as she headed out of the kitchen.

"Indeed." Ryder followed her out as she walked over to the bookcase full of DVDs.

"Well, we've got zombie movies, superhero movies…and whatever stuff like Terminator and Die Hard fall into," she commented as she looked over her selection of movies.

"Do you have Resident Evil?" Ryder questioned.

"That would fall under zombie movies," Jiao nodded. She smiled. "One of my faves, actually," she commented, her hand reading to the shelf that housed the four DVDs within the series. "First movie, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I've seen it." He replied. Jiao nodded and pulled the case out of its shelf. They made their way to Jiao's room. Ryder sat back down on Jiao's bed as she opened up the case and changed DVDs.

"I think you're one of the very few people I've met who like this movie," Jiao commented as she shut the DVD player and moved to sit on the bed. "My brother's this huuuge horror movie snob, not to mention a big video game person, so of course he rags on me for liking the movies."

"Well they're different from the games, and you have to be able to separate them as such." Ryder shrugged.

"That's what I told him!" Jiao laughed. "But he still sticks his nose up at them. I think when the first movie came out, he tried to start a letter writing campaign to the game creators dissing them for allowing the movie to be made," she giggled as she pressed play on the remote.

"That's just insane." He laughed.

"Totally," Jiao agreed, laughing along with him. She leaned back against her headboard as she navigated through the DVD's menu screen to start the movie.

"Are you going to be able to stay awake sitting like that?" Ryder asked as he glanced at Jiao's reclined position.

"Yeah, I think so," Jiao replied.

"Awesome." He replied. Jiao simply nodded and adjusted the volume on her remote as the opening voice over of the movie began. The two watched the movie together, making idle conversation every so often.

"I seriously love Rain," Jiao commented, regarding Michelle Rodriguez's character. Ryder snorted.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" He chuckled.

"What does that mean?" She questioned.

"Nothing," Ryder said. "Just that there are a few….similarities between your personality and the character," he innocently explained.

"Ah." She stated. Ryder blew out a small relieved breath at seeing he had avoided offending her and ending this streak of pleasantness she seemed to have fallen into. Some time later, the movie's end credits rolled across the screen. Jiao sighed as she sat up straight and hit the stop button. "Please tell me its time for sleep," Jiao sighed as she rubbed her eyes. Ryder looked at his watch and gave her a sympathetic look as he shook his head.

"About another 45 minutes, full hour on the safe side," he replied. Jiao unleashed a loud groan.

"We so should've watched Watchmen, that's a hell of a lot longer," she grumbled.

"We could start watching it." He offered. Jiao sighed and shook her head.

"Meh, it's not even worth it," she replied. "It's one of those movies where it works best seeing it one sitting, I've always felt. And trust me; once the hour's up, I'm going to be out like a light." She sighed and rubbed her eyes again. Ryder figured it was best to nod along with her logic.

"Want more coffee?" He asked. "I think there's also some slices of pizza leftover from last night," he added. Jiao's eyes seemed to brighten at that.

"Pizza would work," she nodded. "Especially if I'm going to be sleeping the day away later, might as well do it on a full stomach."

"Want me to go grab it then?" He questioned.

"Okay," she said. Ryder nodded.

"Alright, I'll go heat it up then," he said as he stood up. Jiao shrugged.

"Cold's fine," she replied.

"Seriously?" He questioned. "Cold pizza?" Jiao shrugged.

"What, you've never had cold pizza? I thought that was like….a required food group for guys," she commented.

"Um, hot pizza, fresh. Yes. Cold? No."

"I think you're the first guy I've met who actually turns his nose up at the idea of cold pizza," she chuckled. "And I've known some classy guys, so that's saying something."

"Uh, thanks? I think?" Ryder commented. Jiao chuckled and shrugged.

"Whatever, fine, heat the pizza up. I'm just saying I'm not picky, I can handle cold pizza if you don't feel like heating it up," she replied.

"I'll heat mine." He stated. "Are you sure you want yours cold?" He asked again, double checking. "You'd rather have stiff cold cheese over nice warm melty cheese?" He asked. Jiao chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"Fine, heat mine up too," she replied.

"Will do." He grinned. Jiao rolled her eyes again as she watched him leave the room. Ryder pulled out the pizza box from the fridge. "How many slices do you want?" He yelled from the kitchen.

"Um…I guess three works," Jiao yelled back.

"Wow, someone's hungry," Ryder chuckled.

"Whatever," he heard Jiao reply, he could tell she was probably rolling her eyes. Ryder chuckled again and pulled out three slices for each of them. He placed the now empty box near the garbage can and went about heating up the slices. It took close to ten minutes for all six slices to heat up. Ryder pulled out plates as he waited.

"Do you want something to drink?" He asked, partly out of wanting to make sure Jiao hadn't fallen back asleep.

"There are some bottles of water in the fridge," she replied.

"Got it," Ryder commented, relieved to hear back from her as he pulled two bottles of water out. Once the pizza slices were ready he set them on the plates and tucked the bottles of water under his arm before picking the plates up and heading back to the room. As he grew closer to the room he heard Jiao talking. He walked in to find Jiao on her cell phone.

"Kai, seriously, I'm fine," Jiao spoke in the phone as Ryder set the plates and bottles down on the nightstand and sat down. "Yeah, totally. I mean, come on," she chuckled. "Have you ever known me to go to a mall, like ever?" She said. "I was at work, all away across town when it happened." There was a brief pause in the conversation. "Don't worry... I'll be careful to watch for any crazy things that happen around here." Jiao continued with a roll of her eyes. "Uh huh," she said as she listened to whatever was being said on the other side of the line. "Uh huh….uh huh…" she continued, rolling her eyes again and mouthing a quick 'sorry' to Ryder. "Yes….okay…..listen Kai, I'm about to eat, mind if we continue this at another time?...Alright, I'll talk to you later, send my love to Carolyn and the fetus." Jiao smiled. "Love you too, bye," she said before ending the call.

"Brother?" Ryder questioned as she hung up the phone.

"Yeah," Jiao replied as she set her phone down on the bed. "Apparently news of our green friend's latest attention seeking attempt made it to the East Coast. My family was freaking and looks Kai was elected the one to call and check on me." Ryder nodded as he handed her one of the plates of pizza and a bottle of water.

"Ah, fun." He replied. Jiao snorted.

"Totally," she replied. "I figured it was just better to lie and tell him I was no where near the mall when it happened. When those white freaks attacked the city, I made the mistake of mentioning I was there and it took an hour of convincing him I was fine, not to mention Carolyn jumping in and putting her very pregnant foot down, to keep him from flying out here."

"Your family sounds slightly overprotective." Ryder mused.

"Eh, it's mostly just Kai who's overly protective of me," she replied. "My parents almost reach that level, but not quite. I think being Chinese WASPs….one of the biggest contradictions I've ever seen, allows them only but so much overreaction, and I don't think Li cares either way," she shrugged.

"...Right." He nodded, pretending to understand.

"I guess it's a big brother/baby sister thing, with Kai," Jiao mused with a shrug. "Do you have any younger siblings?" She asked as she took a bite of her pizza. Ryder shook his head.

"I'm an only child. I do have younger cousins though, plus the reservation's kind of like one big family," he replied.

"Ah." She stated. "That sounds nice," she commented.

"Something like that." Ryder laughed. Jiao smiled.

"Not so nice?" She asked. Ryder shrugged.

"It gets a little annoying sometimes, everyone knowing your business," he replied. "Not to mention a little elitist. You don't even want to know the drama that went on when my dad decided to open his shop in town instead of on the rez," he commented.

"Ah," Jiao replied as she chewed a piece of pizza. "I get what you mean about people in your business and elitism. The whole upper east side Manhattan social scene's like some snooty country club Mafia," she chuckled.

"Sounds similar." He agreed. The two ate in silence for a few moments before Ryder spoke again. "So, did your overprotective brother totally flip when whatever happened with that guy from your past?" He curiously asked. Jiao snorted slightly around the gulp of water she had just taken and shook her head.

"Didn't exactly feel like sharing the news with the fam," she commented, shaking her head. "Kai would've killed him and adorned the country club gates with his decapitated head," she chuckled.

"Sounds like a lovely image." Ryder laughed. Jiao grinned.

"Isn't it?" She joked. Ryder chuckled as the two continued to eat their pizza.

"It's almost time," Ryder commented as he checked his watch before beginning on his third and final slice of pizza.

"Thank god," Jiao sighed. "How much longer?"

"About twenty minutes," he replied. Jiao gave him a slight playful glare.

"Twenty minutes is 'almost time'?" She groaned. "Way to get my hopes up, man," she chuckled.

"Could be worse." He pointed out. "Could be thirty minutes," he shrugged. Jiao snorted loudly before giggling.

"Gosh, I should have thought of it like that," she commented.

"Obviously." He teased. Jiao rolled her eyes and continued eating her pizza.

"So, what do you plan on doing once you get out of here?" Jiao curiously asked as she took a bite of her pizza. Ryder shrugged.

"Load up on coffee for the drive home, then sleep," he replied. Jiao nodded thoughtfully for a moment as she swallowed her bite.

"You can stay here," she nonchalantly offered as she took another bite. Ryder raised his eyebrows and gave her a bemused stare.

"Excuse me?" He asked, completely thrown by that comment. Jiao swallowed and shrugged.

"You're exhausted," she commented. "Its obvious the only thing keeping you awake is the work involved in keeping me awake. Once that burden's off your shoulders you're going to pass out or something. I don't need you dying because you've fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed your car, on my conscience," she commented. "So, whatever, sleep here….on the couch, of course," she added.

"Of course." He nodded after a moment. "What brought this on?" He asked. "Not too long ago you were itching to be rid of me," he pointed out.

"Like I said, I don't want your death on my conscience," she replied. Ryder smirked.

"And it wouldn't be because you like me now, and don't want me to crash my car and die?" He teased. Jiao snorted.

"Are the delusions part of your exhaustion?" She asked.

"Maybe." He laughed.

"Hmm, sad," she commented.

"If you say so," Ryder continued to laugh. Jiao shook her head and continued eating her pizza. After a while the two finished eating their slices.

"Time check?" Jiao asked as she sipped her water.

"Ten minutes," Ryder replied. Jiao sighed.

"Ugh, so close," she commented as she slumped against her headboard.

"You've done well." He smiled. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"You mean aside from being difficult and complaining, and the 'bitchitude', right?" She chuckled. Ryder shrugged.

"Well, you made it, didn't you?" He said. Jiao shrugged.

"Yeah, guess that counts," she murmured. Ryder nodded and picked up their empty plates.

"I'll take these to the kitchen," he commented as he stood up.

"Go nuts." She yawned loudly.

"There's still a few minutes left, don't fall asleep yet," Ryder smirked. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"What, are you honestly going to micro manage it down to the last nano-second?" Jiao asked. Ryder shrugged.

"If I have to," he replied as he left the room. Jiao groaned.

"Talk about anal retentive!" She called out after him.

"You'll get over it!" He laughed. Jiao sighed again before getting up and deciding to busy herself with putting all her DVDs away. Ryder ventured out of the kitchen to find Jiao carefully putting her DVDs in the exact place they had been in before. "And you call me anal retentive?" He teased. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to keep my DVDs organized. That way I don't have to do a blind search when I'm looking for a particular movie," she stated with a shrug. Ryder laughed.

"I'm just messing with you," he replied.

"Uh huh." She rolled her eyes. "Mind putting away the book you were reading before?" She asked.

"Yeah, sure," Ryder replied as he picked it up from the couch. Jiao watched him go to put it in an empty spot on the shelf.

"It doesn't go there," she stated. Ryder looked at her and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say," he replied as he put it in the section that housed the other Stephen King novels. Jiao simply grinned.

"Of course, this is my house," she pointed out. Ryder rolled his eyes again.

"And here I thought it was proper etiquette to not boss your guests around, society girl," he commented. Jiao shrugged.

"I guess I skipped that day of cotillion classes," she commented. Ryder raised his eyebrow.

"Cotillion classes?" He snickered. "What, you're some type of debutante or something?" Jiao narrowed her eyes.

"Well, on that note, I'm going to bed," she stated. Ryder chuckled as he moved over to the couch. He looked at his watch.

"You've still got a minute left, but I guess it's safe to go on ahead," he replied.

"How kind of you," Jiao dryly replied as she turned on her heel and went to her room. Ryder simply chuckled in response. Jiao was too tired to even bother closing her door as she crawled into bed, relieved to finally get some sleep. She moaned lightly as she stretched out on her bed and got comfortable. She shifted about to kick her covers up without having to sit back up and settled on her mattress. She was just about to let her eyes slip shut when she heard a knock on her open door. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Jiao groaned. She heard a barely suppressed chuckle from Ryder. Jiao sighed and turned on her side to look at him. "What?" She tiredly asked.

"Your couch is pretty uncomfortable," he replied. Jiao furrowed her brow.

"Huh?" She asked, not understanding what he meant.

"Your couch," he slowly replied. "It's uncomfortable." Jiao groaned and turned her back to him.

"Fine, whatever, sleep on the floor or something. I honestly do not care, just shut the hell up," she groaned. She heaved a deep sigh and closed her eyes again, ready to fall asleep when she felt the bed dip beside her. She quickly turned her head and pushed herself up on her elbow to see Ryder sitting on the edge of the bed, preparing to lie down. "What are you doing?" She asked. Ryder shrugged.

"You said you don't care where I sleep," he replied.

"Yeah, that wasn't an invitation," she snapped. She sighed again and tiredly rubbed her eyes. "You know what, forget it. This is time I could be using to sleep so, whatever, fine sleep here, sleep on the floor what-the fuck-ever," she groaned before flopping back down on her bed. "If you snore, I'm shoving you off the bed," she commented as she pulled her covers up under her chin.

"I don't snore." He shot back.

"Fabu," she icily replied, turning her back to him. Ryder rolled his eyes and lifted the edge of the covers to shift under them. "You're sleeping over the covers," Jiao declared. Ryder rolled his eyes again.

"Fine," he said as he lay on his back.

"Good." She muttered. "Now, go to sleep," she said.

"Whatever you say, mom," Ryder replied. Jiao kicked her foot back and hit the side of his leg.

"Stop talking or I'll change my mind and make you go home," she threatened. Ryder chuckled.

"I'll stop talking when you do," he replied.

"Shut it!" Jiao growled. Ryder continued to chuckle.

"Alright, I'm sorry," he replied. He shifted on the bed and turned on his side. Jiao sighed sharply as he jostled the bed.

"Are you quite finished?" She snapped once he was done moving.

"Yup," Ryder replied.

"Halle-fucking-lujah," Jiao sighed. She sighed and nestled deeper under her covers as she closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep. A few moments later, Ryder heard Jiao's breathing even out as she drifted off. He carefully turned to his other side, making sure not to jostle her awake. He settled on the mattress, facing her as he watched her sleep. He heard a soft humming sigh escape her lips and smiled.

"Sleep tight, Jiao," he quietly said as he closed his eyes and drifted off as well.


	19. Conjugical Visit

Kira was jostled awake the following morning as Conner moved from his position against her in the hospital bed. She gave a dissatisfied whimper as the excess warmth and tight embrace left her, leaving her chilled.

"Conner?" She groggily whimpered, her hands moving to the empty side of the bed searching for him.

"I'm right here Kira." Came his soft reply as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Kira sighed and reached out to grab his arm.

"Come back," she murmured.

"I need to run to the bathroom babe... I'll be right back." He chuckled.

"Don't call me babe," she chastised with a pout. Conner smiled and lightly kissed her lips.

"Sorry, Rockstar," he amended.

"Better." She murmured with a small smile. Conner chuckled.

"Good," he replied, giving her another kiss. "I'll be right back," he said. Kira groaned.

"You sure you can't just hold it?" She asked. Conner laughed.

"I've been holding it for an hour," he informed.

"Poor baby." She giggled tiredly. Conner laughed and lightly brushed his fingers along her cheek.

"I'll be back so soon, you won't even have time to miss me," he promised.

"Too late." Kira whined as he moved towards the bathroom. Conner sighed.

"Okay, you won't have to miss me too much," he replied as he stepped into the bathroom.

"Again I say, too late," Kira called out. Chuckling softly, he closed the door and quickly went about his business. Kira sighed and slowly sat up against her pillows as she waited for Conner to return. She was thankful to only have to wait a few long moments before Conner stepped out of the bathroom and moved back towards the bed. Conner carefully climbed back in next to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Better?" He asked. Kira sighed and laid her head against his chest.

"Much," she replied.

"Glad to hear it." He commented as he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "Sleep well?" He asked as he rubbed her back.

"Uh huh... Till someone woke me up." She poked him in the chest.

"I'm sorry, Kira," he chuckled. Shrugging, Kira snuggled deeper into his embrace and sighed happily. "How are you feeling?" He questioned.

"Better," she replied. "Not as sore as yesterday," she elaborated.

"That's good to hear." He replied.

"Uh huh," Kira replied as she lightly nuzzled his neck.

"Hey... There will be none of that till you get a full bill of health." Conner laughed. Kira gave a small playful whine.

"Meanie," she said, Conner could feel her lips pout against his neck.

"Sorry." He continued to laugh. "I wanna make sure you're at 100% for fun things." Kira groaned.

"You're still a meanie," she replied. "Is there anyway I could convince you to change your mind?" She asked, lightly kissing his neck.

"Probably not." He admitted.

"Are you sure?" Kira asked, kissing the underside of his jaw.

"Kira." He warned.

"Yes, Conner?" Kira murmured against his skin.

"Stop... Please?" He questioned. Kira sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Oh fine," she replied.

"Sorry Rockstar." He admitted as he rubbed her back softly. "There's nothing more that I'd love to do... But I want to make sure you're not in pain, or still hurt from the attack." Kira sighed.

"I guess I understand," she replied.

"I love you." He murmured tenderly. Kira nodded against his shoulder.

"I know, I love you too," she replied. Smiling, Conner squeezed her lightly as there was a knock at the door. "Come in," Kira called out. The door opened as Kira's doctor walked in.

"Good morning, Miss Ford," she smiled.

"Morning." Kira smiled.

"Mr. McKnight," she said, giving Conner a brief nod, still a little careful around him after his outburst the night before. She walked over to the foot of Kira's bed and picked up her chart. "How are you feeling, Miss Ford?" She asked.

"Better," Kira replied. The doctor nodded.

"That's good," she replied. "If you don't mind, I just want to run some checks before we see about releasing you," she added. Kira nodded and carefully sat up straighter in Conner's arms.

"Sounds good," she replied. The doctor nodded and moved over to Kira's side of the bed. Conner slowly pulled his arms off of Kira to allow the doctor to work.

"First I want to check your pupils," the doctor commented as she pulled a small flashlight from her jacket pocket.

"Can I ask why?" Conner questioned, sounding interested.

"Just a precaution," the doctor said. "I want to make sure they're reacting alright, in case there's anything we need to worry about," the doctor assured him. Kira reached down and gently squeezed Conner's hand to make sure he didn't find reason to get upset again.

"Oh okay." He nodded. "Sorry, I'm just curious." He stated as the doctor flicked her small flashlight across Kira's pupils. The doctor peered into Kira's eyes as she double checked, flicking the light back and forth over each eye before clicking the light off.

"Good, your eyes are fine," she replied as she pocketed the flashlight and pulled the stethoscope from around her neck. She put the ear pieces in before drawing closer and slipping the other end inside Kira's gown to listen to her chest. "Deep breath," she instructed. Kira nodded and took a deep breath as the doctor listened closely. She moved the stethoscope to the other side of Kira's chest and nodded, telling her to take another breath. Once she was satisfied with the sounds, the doctor moved the disk to Kira's back and repeated the process.

"All good?" Conner asked as the doctor pulled the stethoscope out.

"Uh huh," the doctor replied. "Okay, we're just going to take your blood pressure and then take you up for a quick scan to check on the internal bruising," she commented.

"What will you do if the bruising is still there?" Kira questioned as the doctor pulled out the blood pressure gage.

"Well, it might still be there," the doctor said as she slipped the pressure cuff on Kira's arm. "What we're checking on is to see how much of it has gone down over the night. If there's no change, we might have to discuss keeping you here one more day. We don't want the bruising to worsen and become a serious problem," she explained.

"Oh..." Kira murmured softly. The doctor gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Well, you said you're feeling better. Less sore, correct?" Kira nodded as the doctor began pumping the end of the pressure gage and monitored the display by the side of Kira's bed. "Well, less sore is definitely a good sign," she commented.

"I hope so." Kira murmured. The doctor released the gage and allowed the cuff to loosen around Kira's arm.

"Your blood pressure looks good, much better than yesterday," she commented as she picked up Kira's chart and jotted it down.

"That's good." Kira smiled. The doctor nodded.

"I'm going to go see if a scan is free and then we'll take you on up. Shouldn't be more than 20 minutes," she commented before giving the couple a parting nod and leaving the room.

"Thank you." Conner called to her with a smile. Kira sighed and leaned back against Conner.

"I really hope I can go home," she murmured.

"Me too." He commented tenderly. "That way I can take care of you." Kira looked up and gave him a lazy smile.

"Well, in that case, I really hope I'm all better soon, so you can really take care of me," she teased.

"Tease." He laughed. Kira giggled.

"I might accept you wanting to wait and taking it easy while I recover, but that doesn't mean I'm going to make it easy for you to wait," she continued to tease.

"You're absolutely horrible." Conner continued to laugh as he brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes.

"Of course, but you love me anyway," she replied with a cheeky grin on her face.

"You sure?" He replied cheekily.

"Uh huh," Kira replied, leaning closer to kiss the tip of his nose. "You adore me," she confidently added.

"Really?" He teased.

"Yuh huh," she continued to grin.

"I dunno..." Conner teased. Kira giggled.

"Oh really?" She asked, running her hands over his chest.

"I was under the impression that my girlfriend wasn't a tease." He grinned.

"What in the world gave you that idea?" She asked.

"I'm not sure anymore." Conner laughed. Kira giggled.

"Your love for me has wiped your memory?" She teased.

"Apparently so." Came his response.

"Perfect," she grinned, lightly kissing the corner of his mouth. Conner's chest rumbled under her hands as he chuckled.

"That doesn't mean I'm changing my mind about wanting to wait until you're a hundred percent better," he pointed out.

"You suck." She muttered.

"Possibly, but you love me anyway," he teased.

"I'm not sure anymore." She replied teasingly. Conner grinned and tightened his hold on her as he kissed her neck.

"Should I remind you?" He asked. Kira groaned.

"Now who's the tease?" She asked.

"Still you." He laughed. "Okay... Let's make a deal, when you're better, we'll talk about that." Conner smiled. "Given that we should probably not be in the house when it happens..."

"What do you mean?" Kira asked. Conner raised his eyebrows slowly.

"Do you not remember the last time?" He questioned. Kira thought a moment before her cheeks blushed.

"Oh, you mean the Trent thing," she murmured.

"Uh huh," Conner replied.

"Well, I mean….he knows to knock now…..and more importantly, we know to lock the door," she replied. "It seems rather silly….not to mention expensive….for us to get a hotel room any time we want to be together," she said.

"Maybe just this time then?" He questioned softly. "I just wanna spend an entire weekend alone with you." He kissed the side of her head. Kira sighed.

"Hmm, that does sound nice," she murmured in agreement.

"See?" He smiled. "Just you, me... And a gorgeous hotel room." Kira smiled.

"I'd be satisfied with a mediocre hotel room, as long as I'm with you," she replied.

"Gorgeous hotel room for a gorgeous woman." Conner murmured in response. Kira sighed and snuggled against him.

"Oh alright, a gorgeous room it is," she softly giggled.

"Glad to see you agree." He chuckled as there was another knock at the door.

"Come in," Kira replied. The door opened to reveal the doctor and an orderly pushing a wheelchair.

"We're back." The doctor smiled as they approached her bed.

"Do you want me to help you into the chair?" Conner asked Kira as the orderly came to a stop by the bed.

"Sure," Kira replied, figuring she'd might as well accept the offer. She had a feeling that Conner would insist she take it easy and accept help. Quickly, he moved off the bed and around the other side. As he did, Kira carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Conner carefully took hold of her arm and helped her shift from the bed onto the chair. Once she was settled, he placed a quick kiss to her forehead.

"If you like, you can come up with us," The doctor offered.

"I'll stay here." Conner replied. "In case our friends show up." The doctor nodded.

"Alright then," she replied. Kira gave Conner's hand a gentle squeeze before the orderly wheeled her chair away and the three of them left Conner alone in the room. Conner sighed and sat back down on Kira's bed as he waited for Kira to return. A few short minutes later there was a knock on the door.

"Uh, come in?" Conner called out. The door opened as Trent walked into the room with a bag of food. "Hey," Conner greeted.

"Hey, man," Trent replied. "Where's Kira?" He asked.

"They took her upstairs for a scan," Conner replied. Trent nodded.

"Ah, well, I brought you guys some breakfast, in case you weren't in for dealing with hospital food," he commented, holding up the bag.

"Awesome." Conner grinned. "I'm starving." Trent chuckled and placed the bag on the tray by Kira's bed.

"Wasn't sure what you guys would want, so I got an order of pancakes, eggs and bacon, and a western omelet," he stated.

"I'll eat everything except the omelet... Kira's favorite." He commented, making a disgusted face. Trent chuckled.

"There are some bottles of orange juice in there too," Trent commented as he sat down in one of the chairs in the room. "I thought about picking you guys up some coffee, but it's not as portable," he shrugged. Conner grabbed the container with the eggs and bacon and a bottle of orange juice before nodding.

"That's fine, OJ is more than acceptable," he said as he fished out a plastic fork from the bag.

"As long as it's edible?" Trent laughed. Conner chuckled as he opened up his container.

"Pretty much," he replied.

"Only you Conner." He continued to laugh as the door opened again and Hayden walked in carrying a small bouquet of flowers. "Hey! How you feeling man?" Trent questioned. Hayden shrugged as he placed the flowers on the table by Kira's bed.

"I'm alright, I guess," he replied. "Other than it took an hour of assuring my mother that I was okay enough to leave the house, let alone drive," he sighed. "Oh, yeah, should've mentioned mother dear insisted I spend the night back home since apparently my dorm wasn't conducive to my recovery…whatever that means."

"Hey man, never diss staying at home." Conner commented around a massive mouthful of food.

"Staying at home wasn't so bad, it was my mother coming in my room every five minutes wanting to be sure I didn't need anything, or asking if I needed my pillow fluffed. She is a textbook helicopter parent," he sighed as she sat on one of the empty chairs in the room. "How's Kira?" He asked.

"She's better." Conner stated as he swallowed his food. "Less pain... They're taking her for a scan right now to see what's going on with the internal bruising she got." Hayden nodded.

"That's good that she's feeling better," he commented.

"Very." Trent agreed.

"Anyone heard anything about how Jiao's doing?" Hayden asked. Conner and Trent shrugged.

"Ryder went home with her yesterday to make sure she stays up, that's the extent of my knowledge," Trent replied.

"So someone should head over there at some point to make sure they're both still alive?" Conner questioned.

"Well, there are two possibilities….Either Jiao's dead, and I think Ryder would've rushed her to the hospital if that were the case. Or Jiao killed Ryder…and if that's the case, do we really want to go there and possibly be her next victims?" Hayden asked.

"Not really... But it's the right thing to do." Trent shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Hayden reluctantly agreed. "I can swing by later if you guys want," he shrugged. "I guess her injuries are my fault in some….tiny way, since I dragged her away from her precious computers, so it's the least I could do."

"You don't have to." Trent replied. "I can go too..." Hayden shrugged.

"Whatever, I don't mind," he replied.

"If you're sure." The elder ranger shrugged. The three waited in silence, with Conner continuing to eat his breakfast, for a few more minutes before the door opened as the door opened and the orderly wheeled Kira back in the room.

"The doctor will be back shortly with your results Miss Ford." The orderly commented with a smile.

"Great, thanks," Kira said. Conner moved to get up to help Kira back to the bed but was stopped by Trent holding a hand up.

"I've got it, eat," he offered as he stood up and moved over to Kira.

"Jesus Conner, did you save anyone else anything?" Kira questioned as Trent helped her back into the bed.

"I left you the western omelet," Conner replied around a mouthful of eggs. "And I figured we could share the pancakes, unless anyone has any objections."

"Already ate," Hayden commented.

"Same," Trent replied as he moved back to his seat.

"Maybe I wanted some bacon." She whacked him across the arm. "Pig."

"There's some bacon with the pancakes," Trent chuckled. "I figured Conner might be a bit of a pig, so I got an extra order," he said. Kira sent her longtime friend a beaming smile.

"Thank you, Trent," she sweetly replied.

"Anytime." He grinned. Kira pulled out the container with the omelet and the remaining bottle of orange juice before catching glance of the flowers beside the bed.

"Aww," she said, reaching over to pick up the bouquet. "Who brought these in?" She asked.

"That'd be me," Hayden replied. Kira smiled at the younger ranger.

"Thanks Hayden, they're lovely," she said.

"You're welcome." He blushed slightly.

"Kiss ass," Conner "coughed" before taking a sip of his juice. Kira rolled her eyes and smacked his arm again.

"You're just jealous because you didn't think to get me flowers," she replied. Conner laughed.

"When would I have been able too?" He asked.

"Who knows." She shrugged. "But you should have thought of it." Conner chuckled and leaned over to give her a light peck on the lips.

"Well, how about this….when we get you home, I'll buy out an entire flower shop," he proposed. Kira grinned.

"It's a start," she teased.

"Conner's in the doghouse." Hayden commented in a sing-song voice. Conner rolled his eyes and went back to eating his food.

"He'll dig himself out eventually." Kira giggled, patting his knee affectionately. Trent and Hayden chuckled at Conner's expense as Kira began to eat her food. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Kira called out before swallowing a bite of her food. The doctor opened the door and walked in.

"Oh, more visitors," she commented with a smile. "Hello," she said. Hayden and Trent voiced their hellos back to her.

"Are my scans in?" Kira asked.

"Yes they are." The doctor nodded as she opened Kira's file.

"Its good news, I hope," Kira murmured. The doctor smiled at Kira and nodded.

"Yes, it is good news," she said. "The bruising has gone done a little bit, which is probably why you've been feeling less sore. It didn't go down quite as much as I was hoping it would have, but still a substantial amount," she stated.

"So that means?" Kira asked.

"It means I would be alright with releasing you, as long as you have someone at home with you," she replied.

"She does," Conner quickly stated.

"Obviously." Hayden muttered as he rolled his eyes playfully. The doctor smiled and nodded.

"Good," she replied, "Miss Ford, I'd like you to be on bed rest for a few days, just to ensure the rest of the bruising goes down."

"Really?" Kira questioned sounding upset.

"Just for a few days," the doctor said. "Its not complete bed rest, you can get up to use the rest room and other necessities, but it would be best if you limited the strain on your body and just recuperate."

"Alright." She shrugged in reply. The doctor gave another nod.

"Alright then, well I'll go on and have your discharge papers put together then," the doctor commented before leaving the room.

"Thanks." Conner called as the door closed. Kira sighed and leaned against Conner.

"Wonderful," she muttered.

"Could be worse." Hayden offered, causing Kira to glance at him, her eyebrows raised. "Well, you could be dead." He shrugged.

"Kid's got a point," Trent commented. Conner wrapped an arm around Kira and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"It's just for a few days," he murmured in her hair.

"Few days too long." She muttered in a defeated tone. Conner kissed the top of her head and gave her another squeeze.

"Come on, it won't be so bad," he cajoled. Kira said nothing as she glanced down at the bed. Conner sighed and simply kissed the top of her head again. The doctor returned shortly with all the paperwork to discharge Kira. The process was quick and in under 30 minutes, Kira was dressed and being wheeled out to Conner's car. She hadn't said much in the time, barely a quick mumbled 'bye' to Hayden when he had left before Conner shooed Hayden and Trent out of the room to let Kira change.

"I'll bring the car around," Trent commented as he pulled Conner's keys out of his pocket.

"Thanks," Conner replied as he stopped the wheelchair right on the curb outside the hospital. He gently placed his hand on Kira's shoulder.

"You okay?" He questioned softly.

"Peachy," Kira grumbled, staring out into the parking lot. Conner sighed and kneeled at her side.

"Kira, I know you don't like the idea of being on bed rest, especially so soon after you had your stitches, but it's not that bad. I mean, at least you can go home and aren't being made to stay in the hospital until the rest of the bruising goes down." Her shoulders lifted slightly in a 'whatever' tone. "It's just a few days, Kira," Conner continued, wanting to pull her out of her sour mood. "I'm sure by the end of this week you'll be able to do whatever you want." She said nothing reply as Trent pulled the car into view. Conner sighed and moved to help Kira up out of the chair as Trent stopped the car and moved around the front to open the door for her. Wordlessly, Kira lowered herself into the car with Conner's help. Conner eased her into the passenger seat before shutting the door for her as Trent wheeled the chair back into the hospital. Once Conner securely shut the door he climbed into the backseat. The ride back to the house was very quiet. Trent attempted to make small-talk with Kira, who openly ignored him, and Conner, who only answered questions when prompted. Halfway through the ride, Trent stopped trying and simply focused on driving. Ten minutes later he pulled into the driveway outside Ethan's house. Conner climbed out of the back to open Kira's door, but was surprised to see that she had already opened it and was climbing out. "Here, let me help," Conner said as he moved closer to her.

"I can manage," Kira lowly barked.

"Fine." He stated as he backed away slowly. Trent went ahead and unlocked the front door as Kira lumbered up the driveway with Conner walking a step behind her in case she needed his help. It took a few moments longer than normal for her to reach the front door, and was very winded by the time she finally did pull herself into the house.

"Are you sure you don't want some help for the rest of the way?" Trent carefully asked, seeing the trouble she was having. Kira fixed him with a steely glare.

"I'm fine." She breathed heavily. Conner sighed as he walked into the house and shut the door behind him.

"Kira, come on," he pushed, "you know what the doctor said about not straining yourself. You're breathing like you just ran the whole New York marathon or something. And that was just coming up the driveway, let us help you."

"Fuck off." She snarled as she turned around quickly. "I am not a goddamn invalid."

"Who said you were?" Conner exasperatedly replied. "Kira, a building fell on you…..the mere fact you survived, let alone that the bulk of your injuries is internal bruising….pretty much states that you're far from an invalid. But why the hell would you make yourself worse? What, just out of pride?"

"I'm sick of being babied!" She stated tossing her hands up.

"No one's babying you; we're just trying to help you. Because we care about you," Trent insisted.

"I'm fine." Kira muttered before turning back to the stairs. Conner gave a frustrated sigh and rubbed his face.

"Kira, you're not fine. I really don't get why you're being like this," he said. "You're hurt. For someone who's so concerned about not being babied, maybe you should stop acting like a baby and realize we just don't want you to make your injuries worse." Kira said nothing as she started up the stairs. Conner rolled his eyes and followed her. Once he was close enough he reached out and scooped her up in her arms.

"Conner! Put me down!" Kira snarled.

"I will, once we're upstairs," Conner replied as he began carrying her up the steps.

"Now!" She screeched loudly, flailing her arms around.

"Cut it out, Kira," Conner ordered as he continued carrying her up the stairs, "I don't want to drop you because you're squirming around."

"Then just put me down and solve this entire problem!" She snapped as she continued to squirm around violently. Conner didn't reply and simply tightened his hold on her as he made it up the rest of the stairs. Kira's arm swung out and her fist caught Conner in the jaw.

"Ow!" Conner exclaimed, stumbling slightly. Luckily he was able to regain his balance against the wall at the side of the top of the stairs before he had a chance to fall or drop his cargo. "Fine," he growled as he set her down. "Its just a few feet to the room, do whatever you want," he said, rubbing his sore jaw.

"About time." She snapped. Conner sighed and shook his head.

"Whatever, Kira," he seethed. "I'll ask Trent come up and see if you need anything," he said, his sore jaw and Kira's bad attitude making him less inclined to be around her any time soon.

"Don't bother." She snapped. "Just leave me the hell alone."

"With pleasure," Conner hissed before turning and walking down the stairs.

"Jerk." Kira muttered as she turned back towards her bedroom. As she turned, her vision clouded slightly as her head swam and she stumbled hard into the wall with a loud 'oomph'. Conner had just made it down a few steps when he heard her stumble.

"Kira?" He asked, the blood draining from his face as he quickly rushed back up the stairs, his sore jar barely registering anymore. Whimpering slightly, Kira closed her eyes as she slid down the wall slowly. Conner scrambled to her side and wrapped his arms around her. "Kira, baby, what is it?" He desperately asked.

"Dizzy." She murmured as she leaned against him heavily. Conner sighed and kissed her forehead.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," he said, lightly rubbing her back. "Are you going to let me carry you this time?" He gently asked.

"Sorry." Came her soft reply. Conner simply kissed her forehead again before carefully pulling her arm around his shoulders before he scooped her up in his arms again.

"Its okay," he replied as he carried her towards his room, which had begun to seem more like 'their' room at this point. Kira groaned as the hallway spun again and she buried her head in Conner's neck. "Do you want me to call the doctor?" Conner asked as he entered the room and moved towards the bed.

"Uh huh." She commented as she felt Conner slowly lower her down and onto his soft bed. Once Conner laid her down, he reached down and carefully pulled her shoes off before pulling the covers up over her.

"Alright," he replied as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. It didn't take him long to dial the number that the doctor had given him in case of an emergency; which he figured this was. Kira sighed and closed her eyes as she waited for the room to stop spinning as she idly heard Conner talking on the phone.

"We got Kira home and now she's saying she feels dizzy," she heard Conner say. There was a pause as the doctor spoke to him. "Um…yes….I was carrying her upstairs and I stumbled a bit," Conner replied. The doctor had asked if Kira put any strain on herself, Conner didn't' want to rat Kira out so he chose to give the doctor the half-truth. "Are you sure?" He asked. "And if it continues?" He asked before pausing again. "Yeah we've got that….are you positive that's all?" Conner asked before pausing again. "Alright, thank you," he replied before hanging up.

"What'd she say?" Kira asked, squeezing her eyes shut as she blew out a breath. Conner kneeled down beside her and stroked her forehead.

"The doctor said it sounds like you might've put a large amount of pressure on one of your bruises. She says if it happened when I was carrying you, then it sounds like it was in one of the areas where the bruising had already decreased so we shouldn't worry," he explained. "She said to give you some Tylenol for the pain, and you should get some sleep. If you're still feeling dizzy afterwards we should bring you in to see her."

"I don't want to go back." She commented around the lump forming in her throat.

"Shh," Conner soothed before kissing her forehead. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, okay?" He said. He wanted to point out that if there was something wrong it would be better if she did return to the hospital, but he figured now wasn't the time to upset her. "I'm going to go get you the Tylenol and some water, okay?" He softly commented.

"Alright." She breathed.

"I love you," Conner murmured against her forehead as he stood back up. Kira squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the tears make an appearance.

"I love you too." She whispered.

"I'll be right back," Conner assured her, hating the sight of the tears trickling out her shut eyes. He gave her hand a loving squeeze before leaving the room and making his way to the bathroom. He pulled the bottle of Tylenol out of the medicine cabinet and grabbed the drinking glass from the edge of the sink and filled it with water. He turned to leave the bathroom when he nearly walked into Trent.

"Whoa." Trent commented as he stepped away, nearly getting a glass full of water in the face.

"Sorry," Conner said, stepping back. Trent waved a hand to say it was alright.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Kira's feeling pretty dizzy," Conner replied. "I called the doctor, she said to give her some Tylenol and Kira should get some sleep. We should take her back to the hospital if she's still not feeling well later."

"How'd that happen?" Trent questioned. "Was it from her walking in?"

"When I was trying to carry her, I stumbled," Conner replied, giving him the same story he had given the doctor.

"So your stumbling triggered the snide, mean, loud comments I heard then?" Trent questioned, raising his eyebrows slightly. Conner looked at Trent, surprised he heard them.

"Yes?" He replied, hoping that would suffice. He was much more concerned with getting back to Kira.

"Ah, I see." Trent replied. "Well, keep me in the loop as to what's happening with her." He shrugged before moving into the bathroom and closing the door.

"Will do!" Conner called out before heading back to his room. He moved into his room to find Kira in the same spot he had left her in, but his pillow was curled tightly in her arms. "Hey," Conner softly spoke as he moved closer to her side of the bed. He set the pill bottle and the glass down on the nightstand as he kneeled beside her. "I brought you the Tylenol," he said, lightly stroking her cheek.

"Thank you." She murmured softly.

"Can you sit up a little bit?" Conner asked. "I don't want you to get water all over yourself." Kira sighed.

"I'll try," she replied.

"I've got you." He promised as he moved off his knees and sat gently on the bed, helping Kira into a sitting position. Kira was half sitting, half leaning against Conner as he popped the bottle of pills open and shook out a couple of capsules. He set the bottle down and picked the glass up for her. Kira took the pills out of his hand and put them in her mouth as Conner held the glass to her lips. It didn't take long for her to drink back over half the glass of water before she pushed it away slightly. Conner set the half empty glass on the nightstand before wrapping his arms around Kira.

"You're staying here, right?" She asked in a soft murmur. Conner smiled and rubbed her back.

"If you want me to," he replied. Kira nodded against him. "Okay, I'll stay," he said. He shifted slightly to allow Kira to settle back down in bed.

"Do you want something else to sleep in?" He asked as she leaned back into the pillow.

"Okay," Kira quietly replied. "Just a t-shirt's fine," she murmured. Conner nodded as he stroked her hair.

"One of mine, or do you want me to go to your room and get one of yours?" He asked.

"Yours works," Kira murmured.

"Give me a minute." He smiled softly as he rolled off the bed and moved to his dresser. As he grabbed a clean shirt for Kira, he pulled his jeans and shirt off, stripping down to just his boxers. He kicked his clothes aside before bringing the clean shirt over to Kira. "Need some help changing?" He asked. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Don't sound too excited about that," she said.

"No wandering hands or eyes, promise." Conner chuckled.

"Good," Kira replied as she slowly pushed herself back up into a sitting position to change. Leaning against the headboard momentarily, she slowly peeled her shirt off before dropping it off the side of the bed. Conner helped her slip the t-shirt on over her head as her hands moved back to unclasp her bra. Once the undergarment was slid off her shoulders, she put her arms through the sleeves of the t-shirt. As he pulled the shirt down to her waist, he moved down to her pants next. Kira shifted on the bed until she was lying back down so Conner could pull her pants off easier. He did as she had with her shirt and dropped them next to the bed. Conner pulled the covers back up for her before moving over to his side of the bed and climbing in next to her.

"Do you want my pillow to sleep on?" He asked as Kira still had his pillow lying next to her.

"Yeah, is that okay?" She asked. Conner nodded.

"Yeah, that's fine," he replied. Carefully, Conner grabbed his pillow and lifted Kira's neck gently before placing the soft pillow under her head and slowly setting her back down.

"Thanks," Kira sighed as she settled deeper under the covers.

"Anytime." He replied softly as he grabbed one of the other pillows and tucked it behind his head. "Wake me up if you need anything."

"Mm," Kira nodded as she snuggled against Conner's side. Conner smiled and shifted his arms around her before kissing her forehead.

_The warrior walked along the clearing. It was where the chameleon had led him before, but now the area was empty._

"_Hello?" He called out, wondering where all the other creatures had gone. He walked deeper into the space, his eyes scanning through the trees for any sign of his earlier companions. He paused when he heard a low growl coming from behind him. He spun around to see the fox standing there, her teeth bared in a snarl. The warrior warily took a step back as he continued to stare at the fox. In a flash, the animal leaned back on its haunches and leapt towards him. The warrior tried to stumble away in time but was knocked back by the force of the fox pouncing on his chest. He fell on his back, his head colliding with the ground and his vision dimming upon impact. The snarling fox invaded all of his senses as he felt the paws pressing down on his chest. After a moment, the small paws pressing on him morphed and changed into a pair of hands. He felt a whole different weight on him. The warrior slowly opened his eyes to see that were the fox had previously been perched on top of him, now sat a woman. Her dark hair hung over her shoulders as she stared down at the warrior, her lips pulled back into a toothy smirk. _

_The warrior stared into the woman's eyes, transfixed, as he slowly rose himself up on his elbows. Once he was sitting up, his arms circled around her waist. The woman gave off a small sound….a sigh mixed with a hum and a moan, as she leaned into his chest. The warrior opened his mouth to speak when he felt a sharp kick to his body._

Ryder groaned as a kick ripped him away from his dream. He barely had his eyes opened when he heard a groan as a body rolled into him, thrashing and kicking. Before he could react, he was rolled off of the bed.

"What the..!" He exclaimed, his cheek lightly colliding with the edge of the nightstand as he fell off the bed. "Jiao!" Ryder lowly growled, as the shock of slamming on the floor cleared his senses. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He snapped as he sat up, ready to give her a piece of his mind. He had just gotten up to his feet, prepared to come face to face with Jiao baring a malicious little smirk, when he saw her still asleep, her body splayed across the bed and tangled up in her covers. She shook and thrashed about as small whimpers and whining groans slipped out of her mouth. Ryder sighed, releasing his previous anger as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "Jiao," he gently said, shaking her shoulder. "Jiao, wake up, you're having a bad dream."

"Too tight….can't…can't breathe," Jiao whimpered, still in the grips of her nightmare. Ryder lightly stroked her face as he continued to wake her.

"Jiao, you're okay, just wake up," he said.

"Kai…." Jiao murmured, as she shook her head, her face scrunching up as more whimpers leaked out. "Ryder….help me…." Ryder blinked, a little surprised to hear his name come out of her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up into a sitting position against him as he continued to try and wake her up.

"Jiao, I'm right here," he stated, rubbing her back. "Come on, sleeping beauty, wake up," he murmured in her ear. After a moment he heard Jiao give a sharp intake of breath as her body tensed against him.

"Ryder?" She groggily spoke. Ryder pulled back to see her staring up at him.

"Hey," he softly said, giving her a small smile. Jiao blinked a few times to clear her head before sitting up in his arms. She tiredly rubbed her eyes as she looked around, as if needing to remind herself where she was. "You okay?" Ryder asked.

"I guess," she mumbled, leaning against him after a moment. She laid her head against his shoulder as she took a few calming breaths. Ryder decided not to set her off by reacting to her choosing to be close to him and simply rubbed her back to help soothe her. "Bad dream," she murmured.

"Yeah, I kind of got that," Ryder replied with a slight chuckle. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. He heard Jiao sigh against him.

"I was somewhere….small, and dark," she replied. "I think it was the hall closet back at my parents house but...different, I'm not sure…I couldn't move, like when I was in the mall….I think," she went on. "I was scared." Ryder continued to rub her back as he felt Jiao tremble slightly in his arms.

"It was just a dream," he assured her.

"Didn't feel like one." She mumbled in response. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as her dream continued to replay in her mind. "I was screaming for help," she recounted. "It felt like I was going at it for hours," she murmured. "And then there was this light…at the top or…whatever," she continued. "It was my brother….at first," she murmured, an edge of confusion in her voice.

"And then?" Ryder asked. Jiao bit her lip and slowly turned her head on his shoulder to look up at him.

"It was you," she admitted.

"Oh..." He breathed out, unsure what to say. Jiao nervously looked down, unable to figure out why she had just told him that. "I…uh guess it makes sense," Ryder commented after a moment as his senses returned to him. "You said your brother got you out of the closet when you were a kid….and yesterday I found you in the…well, in what used to be the mall. If, in the dream, you were in a combination of the two places…..I guess…..there was a combination in wherever who was getting you out."

"Guess so." She agreed in a quiet vice. The two were quiet for a moment as they looked at each other. "What happened to your cheek?" She asked after a few moments.

"Huh?" Ryder asked.

"Your cheek," she repeated, "it's pretty scraped, what happened?" She asked. Ryder pulled one of his arms off of her to touch his cheek.

"Oh," he replied, remembering what had happened earlier. "You kicked me out of bed, I hit the nightstand," he explained.

"I'm so sorry." She replied as her hand flew to her mouth. Ryder shrugged.

"It's no big deal," he replied. "Doesn't even hurt that much," he stated.

"Are you sure?" Jiao asked. She sat up and took a hold of his face to look at the scrape. She shifted slightly on the bed, her new position practically on his lap. "It looks really red," she commented. Ryder's breath hitched in his throat as she moved closer.

"It's fine." He commented. Jiao lightly rubbed his cheek with her thumb, feeling bad she had caused the scrape. She blinked after a moment, realizing how she was sitting and, more importantly, what she was doing.

"Um," she nervously murmured. "I….should go get like….some peroxide or something," she said. She moved to get up, only to have Ryder tighten his hold on her to keep her from moving from her position. Jiao bit her lip and looked at him.

"It's fine," he softly insisted, his voice very close to sounding husky.

"You sure?" She questioned softly as a shiver ran up her spine.

"I'm sure," he lowly replied. The two stayed where they were for a moment, an unspeakable tension around them. Jiao nervously chewed on her lip for a moment, which only did to draw Ryder's attention down to her mouth. He watched her anxiously lick her lip, which seemed to be enough to break him out of his stilled moment. He quickly leaned in and captured her lips with his. Jiao was surprised as his lips pressed against hers in a soft, yet passionate way. She felt his arms tighten around her waist as he pulled her completely onto his lap. Jiao closed her eyes as she was pulled back into whatever rapture she had felt against her front door the night before, moaning lightly against his lips. Ryder took the tiny noise as a good sign and carefully opened his mouth to lightly touch her lips with his tongue. Jiao parted her own lips to let his tongue pass through as she allowed her own tongue to slide against his. One of Ryder's hands slipped under her nightshirt and slowly, teasingly skirted across her skin. Jiao sighed against his mouth as her arms wrapped around his shoulders, one of her hands burying into his hair.

Ryder gave a low growl-like noise as he felt her nails scratch against his scalp like they had the night before. He practically crushed her against him as he felt his body react the very same way as well. His other hand moved from her waist and slowly crept up across her stomach, resting under her breast. Jiao gasped lightly against him before pulling her head back a bit. Ryder blinked and stared at her, not at all ready to stop kissing her.

"Wh…what's wrong?" He asked. He looked down at his hands, momentarily wondering if he had somehow crossed some sort of line. Jiao blushed lightly.

"It's…the clothes," she muttered. Ryder furrowed his brows and stared at her for a moment.

"The clothes?" He asked, not understanding what she meant. Jiao pursed her lips a moment.

"You're in my brother's clothes," she mumbled, feeling a little foolish. "Just….feels weird…with," she let her sentence hang as she looked down, making it abundantly clear to Ryder she could feel his current physical state while on his lap.

"Oh." He nodded. "Want me to take them off?" Jiao's breath caught in her throat, as if she hadn't realized those were the two choices before her….Ryder was either in her brother's clothes, or out of them…as in naked.

"I…um…" Jiao murmured, unsure what to say to that. Ryder lightly caressed her skin with his thumb, hoping that this distraction hadn't completely pulled Jiao out of the moment as she had been the night before.

"Or is that your way of saying you want to stop?" He asked, a slight twinge of defeat in his tone. Jiao swallowed thickly as she thought for a moment.

"….No," she finally said. "It's just….really getting to the point," she nervously mumbled.

"Had to get there sooner or later." He murmured softly. Jiao nodded, her heart ramming in her chest. She wasn't sure why she felt so nervous, this was far from her first time with someone. But something about it felt heightened, deeper. Jiao let out a small breath before deciding to push herself into action. She reached out and carefully lifted up the hem of Ryder's shirt. Slowly, Ryder lifted his arms as she pulled the garment up and over his head. Once the shirt was off of him, Jiao tossed it aside, letting land on the floor near her bedroom window. Ryder's arms returned to her waist and lifted her off of his lap. He set her down on the bed before moving to take the shorts off. Jiao balanced herself on her elbows as he ever so slowly pushed the shorts down. She blushed slightly as he pulled the shorts off and let them fall on the floor by the floor. Once Ryder was completely naked, he moved forward on the bed until he was beside her and gently kissed the side of her neck. "You planning on staying dressed, or what?" He lightly teased.

"I guess I can take mine off too." Jiao commented around a giggle. She shifted off the bed and stood up to pull her pants down. Ryder watched with rapt attention as Jiao slid out of her yoga pants, revealing her underwear and thighs. He bit his lip slightly as she kicked them away. Jiao then reached down to pull her shirt off. Her blush seemed to increase slightly as she pulled it up over her head and let it drop to the floor. Ryder was slightly disappointed to see that her bra was still on. Stepping closer to her, his hands slowly slipped around her back and took their time to unclasp the item. Jiao bit her lip and looked at him.

"A little impatient, are we?" She asked.

"Something like that." He murmured huskily as he pulled the material down her arms and tossed it away. Jiao looked down a moment, her cheeks practically glowing. "Something wrong?" Ryder asked. Jiao glanced up at him and shook her head.

"No, I'm okay," she replied. Ryder slid his arms back around her and gently pulled her closer to him before lightly kissing her. Her arms slipped around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Ryder tightened his arms around her and lifted her up off her feet to lay her down on the bed. Jiao moaned softly as Ryder moved on top of her, his hand running down her side as he continued to kiss her. One of his hands slowly moved up, gently cupping her breast as he broke the kiss and began to nibble and kiss his way along her jaw line and down to her neck. Jiao moaned and laid her head back against her pillow as she felt Ryder's thumb brush over her breast. Slowly, Ryder removed his lips from Jiao's neck and moved down towards her chest, his fingers skirting over her naked skin. Jiao gasped as she felt Ryder's mouth on her breast, her hips slightly bucking against his reflexively. Grinning as her hips bucked, Ryder rolled her erect tip using his teeth.

"Oh my god…" Jiao moaned, her eyes drifting shut as she writhed beneath him. Her hands moved to his hair as Ryder continued lightly using his teeth on her breast. The hand that had been occupied on her other breast slowly began to drift downwards. Ryder's hand reached the waistband of her underwear and deftly slipped inside the undergarment. Jiao gasped as her hips arched and legs moved apart. Ryder pulled his mouth off of Jiao's breast and moved his head to perform the same actions on the other, as his thumb ever so slowly circled over the bundle of nerves in an almost teasing manner. Jiao moaned as he teased her. Ryder ran his thumb over the sensitive bud for a few more moments, slowly driving Jiao into a rapturous frenzy, before shifting his hand deeper between her legs. Jiao choked back a gasping moan as she felt two of Ryder's fingers slip inside of her.

"Oh god." She whimpered as Ryder's fingers slowly began to move inside her. Her hips rocked against his hand as more moans and whimpers flew out of her lips. Ryder continued moving his fingers inside of her until the tip of one of his fingers brushed against the sensitive spot inside of her. Jiao arched her back as she gave a small shriek of pleasure. "Oh…fuck…." Jiao panted as Ryder's finger continued to stroke the spot. Her body tensed as Ryder pushed her closer and closer to the edge. She squeezed her eyes shut and tossed her head back as she climaxed with a loud moan. Her body went taunt for a moment before slumping back into the bed, panting heavily. Slowly, Ryder pulled his fingers out of her and withdrew his hand from her panties. Ryder pulled his head up from her chest so the two were eye to eye to one another. He gave her a small grin before lightly kissing the side of her mouth.

"How you doin?" He murmured against her skin. Jiao was quiet for a couple of moments as she caught her breath before sighing contently.

"Good," she murmured in response, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Uh huh?" He questioned as he kissed her again and rolled them slightly so that he was on top of her. "How good?"

"Pretty good," she replied.

"Just 'pretty good'?" Ryder asked, idly running his hand up and down her side. Jiao bit back a cheeky grin and nodded.

"Guess we'll have to remedy that." He murmured as he pressed his hips against hers.

"I guess so," she replied before playfully nipping his bottom lip.

"Maybe we should get rid of these then." Ryder grinned as he pulled at her last remaining garment and snapped it against her skin. Jiao giggled.

"Sounds like a good plan," she replied. Ryder's grin widened as he took a hold of the sides of her panties and began to pull them down. He had just gotten the article of clothing past her hips when they heard a knock on Jiao's front door.

"Jiao? Ryder?" They heard Hayden's voice call out from outside as he knocked again.

"For fuck's sake." Ryder commented as he slumped against Jiao. The knocking continued. Ryder sighed. "Maybe if we're quiet he'll go away," he muttered.

"Doubtful," Jiao sighed as she squirmed out from under him. Ryder groaned as he rolled off her. "Maybe you should um... get under the covers." Jiao blushed. Ryder rolled his eyes and covered himself with Jiao's blankets as she rushed about to throw some clothes on herself. "Hang on!" She barked when another round of knocks was heard. Jiao grabbed the shirt Ryder had been wearing and pulled it on before quickly shoving her legs through her yoga pants. She hopped out of the room as she finished pulling the pants on, closing her bedroom door behind her before quickly smoothing down her hair. She sighed and opened the door. "What do you want?" She tersely asked Hayden once she caught sight of him on her porch.

"Hi!" He grinned cheerfully. "Just wanted to see how you were doing... And to make sure everyone is still alive."

"All's well, everyone's alive, see ya," Jiao quickly said, ready to slam the door in his face.

"Uh well I see you're alright, and alive…what about Ryder?" Hayden asked. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"He's fine too," she snapped. "He's...in the shower right now." Hayden raised his eyebrows at that. Jiao fought back a blush at that and shook her head. "Hey Hayden, your mind called…it says it'd like to get out of the gutter," she hissed.

"Someone's upset." He commented as he took a step back.

"Well gosh, why would that be? Perhaps because I was up two nights in a row and was in the middle of getting some much needed sleep when some jackass started banging on my front door," she sneered, weaving the lie quickly and easily.

"I come in peace." Hayden replied holding his hands up.

"Fine, whatever, mind if I go back to sleep now? Keep in mind, in my sleep deprived temperament, staying much longer will have you leaving in pieces," she stated.

"Yeah sure." Came his quick reply. "Sorry... Just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, you've made sure, bye," Jiao replied before shutting her door. She sighed and leaned against the door for a moment as she looked towards her room. Being away from the situation that waited past her bedroom door, Jiao began to feel the onset of doubt and second thoughts. She stayed where she was to gather her thoughts as she heard Hayden walk off the porch, his car pulling away a few moments later. Once she was sure Hayden was gone, Jiao slowly made her way back to her room. She opened her door to find Ryder sitting up under the covers, waiting for him.

"What did Hayden want?" Ryder asked. Jiao sighed and sat on the edge of her bed.

"He was just checking up on us," she replied. "I told him you were in the shower and that I was in the middle of sleeping so he'd go away," she said.

"Good thinking." He chuckled as he moved the covers and crawled up behind her. Jiao felt his arms circle around her as his lips connected with her neck. "Now, where were we?" He huskily murmured against her skin. Jiao shrugged her shoulder slightly to dislodge his lips from her neck.

"Um…maybe you should go," she murmured.

"...What?" He questioned. Jiao turned slightly on the bed to look at him. She bit her lip and looked down when she saw the look of confusion, surprise and disappointment on his face.

"I…um….I'm just not sure if we should….do this," she muttered.

"Why not?" Ryder asked softly as he cupped her cheek. Jiao had to take a moment to keep herself from swooning at the gentle touch and took a deep breath.

"It's just…um…weird," she murmured. "I mean….for us to….hook up or whatever," she went on, lightly shaking his hand away from her face. "I mean, we barely like each other…so…" She let her voice trail off with a small shrug. Ryder frowned.

"That didn't seem to be a problem five minutes ago," he muttered. Jiao bit her lip and looked down at her hands.

"I'm sorry…." She muttered. Ryder sighed and ran his hand over his face.

"Is this like some form of ADD or something?" He asked. "I mean last night, now….we get the slightest of interruptions and you instantly go from hot to cold."

"What?" She questioned sounding surprised. "No."

"Well, then what is it?" Ryder asked, trying his best to keep his cool. Jiao sighed and shrugged. "That's not an answer," Ryder insisted. Jiao sighed again and gave him an exasperated look.

"Fine…if you really want to know….last night….and now….I was…" She paused as she tried to find the right word. "Distracted, by you," she replied. "And I guess after I get a moment to clear my thoughts…..I…." She gave a small huff as she yet again tried to find the right words. "I guess those interruptions let me think clearly," she murmured.

"I distract you?" Ryder asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah." She replied quietly.

"And how do I do that?" Ryder asked. Jiao blushed and shrugged.

"I don't know," she replied. "All I know is….you kiss me, and….stuff gets kind of fuzzy up here," she admitted, tapping the side of her head with her index finger.

"Isn't fuzzy a good thing sometimes though?" He murmured affectionately as he dragged his finger across her cheek. Jiao let out a shaky breath as she fought the temptation to lean into his touch.

"The last person to…make things fuzzy….hurt me," she quietly admitted.

"What makes you think I'd hurt you?" He questioned as he lifted her chin up. Jiao let out a small humorless laugh.

"Hi, where have you been these last twelve or so hours? We haven't exactly been warm and fuzzy to each other."

"Doesn't mean that I don't care." He murmured quietly. Jiao let out a breath and looked down.

"I'm just saying….if someone who I thought was Mr. Perfect and would never do any harm, and who I had strong feelings for…..could end up proving me wrong…..it doesn't exactly bode well for anything with someone who I haven't been very nice to," she muttered.

"You need to learn how to trust people again." Ryder commented gently. Jiao blew out a breath and looked at him.

"That kind of sounds like a recipe for disaster," she replied.

"How?" Came his response as he slowly ran his fingers over her arm. "Start slow... You might find that people aren't going to hurt you as badly as you might think." Jiao sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Ugh, this is way too much self reflection to take in right now," she murmured.

"Well..." He trailed off with a smile. Jiao looked at him and chuckled, shaking her head slightly.

"Well, I guess…given what's already gone on and everything, I guess it would be a little selfish if I kicked you out now," she teased.

"Just a bit." He chuckled. "Besides... I think you were enjoying yourself." Jiao blushed slightly.

"True," she murmured. She moved to pull the large t-shirt off before pausing. "One thing first….there's a, well, a rule you need to follow."

"A rule?" Ryder asked, a little wary of what she was talking about. Jiao nodded. She let out a breath before speaking.

"I don't cuddle….you know, afterwards," she stated. "So…yeah…" She awkwardly continued. "Don't try to do that whole spooning thing or whatever."

"So just roll over and go back to sleep then?" He questioned. Jiao shrugged.

"Whatever you want to do. Roll over and go to sleep, leave, watch TV, I don't care. Just don't expect cuddling."

"Hmm... I like the sleep option." Ryder grinned as he leaned in and kissed her softly. "That way, if someone wants round two..." Jiao grinned back at him.

"Are you implying you expect some sort of multiple thing going on here?" She giggled.

"Well... If it's as good as I think it's going to be." He chuckled. Jiao grinned.

"Well, I certainly hope you live up to these expectations you're bringing in," she teased.

"Likewise." He grinned before pulling her back onto the bed. "Now, where were we?"

"I believe I was down to my underwear," Jiao giggled. Ryder's grin grew.

"That you were," he replied. "I think we should get back there," he teased as he toyed with the hem of Jiao's shirt.

"Okay." She continued to giggle as he inched her shirt up slowly. She lifted her arms and let Ryder pull the shirt up over her head before tossing it aside. His hands moved back down to her hips, his fingers inching under the waistband.

"Hopefully we'll get these off this time." He chuckled against her lips. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"I can take a hint," she teased as she leaned out of his arms and against her headboard as she lifted her hips to take her pants and underwear off. Once they had been tossed away, Ryder glanced up at her.

"Where do you keep condoms?" He questioned, reaching for her nightstand.

"I'm on the pill," Jiao replied.

"Oh." He commented. "Alright then." Jiao bit her lip for a moment before leaning closer to Ryder and kissing him. Grinning, Ryder kissed her back softly as he moved his hands across her body. Jiao wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she deepened the kiss. Ryder enthusiastically returned the kiss as his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her up onto his lap again. A soft moan escaped Jiao's mouth as she felt Ryder's obvious arousal press against her thigh. Ryder moved his lips down to her neck as his fingers lightly brushed against the small of her back.

"Ready?" He murmured against her skin as he lightly nibbled on her pulse point.

"Mmhm," Jiao moaned. Ryder held her closer and shifted his hips to slowly slide into her. Jiao's head rolled back onto the headboard as he slowly pushed inside her. A low moan erupted from the back of her throat as she felt her body stretch to accommodate him.

"Are you okay?" Ryder asked against her neck. Jiao bit her lip and nodded.

"Uh huh," she murmured. Ryder grinned against her neck before lightly kissing her pulse point.

"Good," he replied before beginning to move against her. Jiao moaned and rolled her hips along with him, bracing her knees against the bed for leverage as she moved on his lap.

"Nice view." Ryder grinned as she adjusted herself against him. His hands slipped to her legs, pushing them apart even more so that she could sink farther down along him. Jiao let out a loud moan as he became fully embedded inside her.

"Oh my god!" She choked out, leaning her head against his shoulder as her hips instinctively bucked against him. Ryder grunted in agreement as he stroked her back gently. The two continued to move together, with Jiao's moans increasing as Ryder hit the sensitive spot inside of her.

"Oh fuck!" Jiao whimpered as he shifted his hips upwards and hit it a second time. Ryder grunted against her neck and quickened his pace, his arms tightening around her. Jiao whimpered against his shoulder and gripped his hair as Ryder repeatedly hit the spot with each of his upward thrusts. Ryder kissed and nipped along her shoulder as he could feel his release approaching quickly. Not wanting to go over the edge without Jiao being there as well, Ryder pulled one arm away from her waist and maneuvered it between them, his thumb circling Jiao's bundle of nerves.

"Oh god." She cried as her hips bucked again. Jiao panted, her toes curling against her bed, as she felt Ryder pushing her closer and closer to her second orgasm in less than thirty minutes. Ryder continued to circle his thumb over the responsive bud for a few more moments before lightly pinching it with his thumb and forefinger. With a loud guttural moan and an arch of her back, Jiao climaxed. The clutching of Jiao's walls around him forced Ryder's hips up a few more times on their own accord, before he moaned loudly and released. Jiao limply slumped against him as she fought to catch her breath.

"Wow…" She lowly murmured. Ryder breathlessly chuckled his agreement against her neck.

After catching their breath for a few moments, Ryder's hands moved to Jiao's hips and slowly lifted her off him. A soft moan escaped Jiao's lips at the small amount of friction Ryder caused as he moved her off of his lap. Ryder grinned and laid her on her back before lying down beside her.

"How you doin?" He asked as she continued to breathe deeply, obviously still reeling from the two orgasms.

"Really good, and tired," she murmured, a lazy smile forming on her lips. Ryder chuckled and kissed the side of her mouth.

"I wore you out, eh?" He lightly teased.

"Just a little." She giggled. She sighed and turned on her side facing him. "I think I definitely need to sleep and do some recuperating after that," she grinned. Ryder matched her grin and pulled the covers up over them.

"You do that," he replied, his hand lightly resting on her upper arm after he brought the covers up and gently stroking her skin. "You're going to need your strength for round two," he teased.

"More?" She giggled. Ryder chuckled.

"Of course," he replied with a cheeky grin.

"Sounds fun," she softly giggled before letting out a small yawn.

"It will be." He promised. "Get some sleep."

"Mmhm," she murmured as she nestled under the covers and let her eyes slip shut. Ryder watched her until her breathing evened out and she drifted off completely. He wanted to wrap his arms around her but he remembered her rule about cuddling, so he refrained. He sighed and settled into the bed and settled on lying on his side facing her, watching her sleep until he too drifted off.


	20. Rounds

Conner awoke a few hours after he and Trent had brought Kira home. He blinked a few times as sleep left him and turned to see Kira still sleeping soundly beside him. He gently stroked her face and pressed a tender kiss to her cheek before rolling out of bed and pulling his clothes on. Once he was dressed, Conner left the room, careful to quietly shut the door behind him. He could hear the television playing downstairs and followed the noise to find Trent sitting in the living room.

"Hey man." Conner called as he moved into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

"Hey," Trent replied, looking over at him. "How's Kira doing?" He asked.

"Still sleeping." Came the reply as Conner moved back into the living room. "What time is it?" Trent looked at his watch before answering.

"Almost 7," he replied. Conner nodded and took a seat on the other end of the couch. "Hayden called earlier; he said he went by Jiao's place. She practically bit his head off. So I guess that mean's she's alright," Trent chuckled.

"Glad to hear it." Conner chuckled as he sipped at his water. The two fell into a comfortable silence till Trent spoke again.

"Hey... Do you really think that Kira should be asleep this long?" He questioned, hoping not to panic Conner. Conner looked at his friend and considered his words.

"I hadn't really thought about that," he muttered, a sizeable amount of concern settling in the pit of his stomach.

"I don't want to freak you out." Trent commented. "I'm just saying that she's been asleep for over 6 hours." Conner scratched the back of his neck.

"It's been that long?" He murmured, surprised he had slept that long. He set his bottle of water down on the coffee table and quickly rose to his feet. "I should go check on her," he muttered before all but rushing back up the stairs. Trent stood up and quickly moved after him. "Conner..." He muttered as he watched his friend bolt up the stairs. Conner burst back into the bedroom, the door flying open and crashing against the wall.

"Kira!" He called as he moved over to the bed and dropped next to her. Trent followed Conner into the room and stood by the open bedroom doorway. "Kira!" Conner called again as he shook her shoulder slightly, eliciting a groan from Kira.

"What?" She questioned softly. Conner let out a small relieved sigh at hearing her awake.

"You've been asleep for six hours, you need to wake up," he replied.

"Still sleepy." She argued as she rolled away from him.

"I know baby, but you need to wake up," Conner insisted.

"Why?" Kira sighed as she rolled over to face him.

"Need to make sure you're okay." Trent stepped in, covering for Conner. "Besides tired, how do you feel?" He questioned as he sat down on the bed next to Kira. Slowly, Kira pushed herself up and leaned against the headboard. Her vision swam as she did so and she groaned as she pressed the heel of her hand against her temple.

"Headache... Dizzy." She stated.

"We should call the doctor," Conner stated to Trent as he lightly brushed the side of Kira's cheek.

"Got it covered." Trent replied as he grabbed the bedside phone and the card that was beside it. He quickly punched the number in and waited for it to connect. After a few rings, Trent heard the doctor pick up.

"Dr. Catherine Burak speaking." Came the quick reply from the doctor.

"Dr. Burak, its Trent Mercer. I'm calling about Kira Ford," he spoke.

"Is everything alright?" The doctor asked.

"She's saying she's feeling dizzy and has a headache."

"How long was she asleep for? Or is she still asleep?" She questioned, remembering that she had recommended that Kira sleep for a while in hopes that the dizziness and headache would dissipate.

"She slept for about six hours," Trent replied.

"She's not going to like this very much, but I'd like her to be brought back in so we can monitor her closely." Dr. Burak replied. "I know it's not ideal; however I'd feel better if we could get another MRI in and perhaps figure out what the underlying problem seems to be." Trent tilted the phone away from his mouth to speak to Conner and Kira.

"She says we should bring Kira back to the hospital," he informed them.

"No." Kira whimpered as a stray tear slipped down her cheek. Conner sighed and wiped her tear away.

"Kira, if something's wrong, we need to go back to the hospital," he reasoned with her. "How soon does she want us there?" Conner asked, directing his question to Trent. Trent relayed the question to the doctor and waited for her response.

"She says as soon as possible would be best," Trent told Conner.

"Okay." He nodded as he reached over and squeezed Kira's hand. "I'll be right there with you." He murmured softly. Kira sighed and looked away.

"Thanks, bye." Trent commented as he hung up the phone. "Kira I'm sorry." He stated. "But Dr. Burak is worried that there might be something more serious going on."

"Fine, whatever," Kira sighed.

"Thank you." Conner murmured softly. "I'll help get ready to go," Conner stated to Trent. Trent nodded, understanding that was Conner's subtle way of kicking him out.

"I'll start the car," he replied before leaving the room. Conner moved over to where he had put Kira's clothing down and grabbed all the items before heading back over to the bed. "I know you're pissed." He murmured as he helped her put everything back on. Kira didn't reply and simply let Conner help her change. Once her shirt was secure, Conner helped her to her feet and back into her pants. After her pants were on, Conner sat her back down and helped her slip her shoes back on.

"Ready?" He murmured tenderly as he finished helping her with her shoes.

"I guess," Kira glumly replied.

"I love you Rockstar." He murmured softly as he knelt down and scooped her up. Kira sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder and placed her arms around his neck.

"Yeah, I love you too," she said, her tone still unhappy. Conner pressed a soft kiss to her forehead as he navigated down to the main floor of the house, and then out to the car. Trent was already in the driver's seat and had left the passenger door wide open to make it easier for Conner to get Kira in the car. It didn't take long for Conner to get Kira situated and buckled into his car. Closing the door, he hopped in the backseat. Once Trent saw Conner was in the car and buckled in, he pulled out of the driveway and headed back to the hospital. The trip was silent again, but fast. Trent pulled up outside the hospital and stopped the car.

"You take her in, I'll go park the car," Trent said to Conner.

"Right." Conner agreed as he quickly got out of the car. It took a moment to extract Kira before he kicked the door closed and moved into the hospital. He barely walked in through the door when he was met with Dr. Burak and an orderly with a wheelchair.

"That was fast." Kira grumbled as Conner set her down into the chair softly.

"We've got the MRI booked right now." Dr. Burak replied before casting a glance to Conner. "I'm assuming your friend Trent is with you? We'll bring Ms. Ford back down in about 30-40 minutes once we're finished... She'll be in the same room as before." Conner nodded.

"Alright, thanks," he replied.

"See you in a bit." He commented softly to Kira. Kira gave him a small pout at the idea that he was not coming wit her.

"Love you." He smiled tenderly as they orderly began to push the wheelchair away. Kira sighed and leaned back in the chair as the doctor and the orderly took her away. Conner sighed softly as she was lead away. He only had to wait a few minutes before Trent walked in.

"Hey." He commented as he passed the keys off to Conner. "They take her up already?" Conner nodded.

"They took her for an MRI, the doctor said they'd bring her into the room she was in before when they're done," he replied.

"Wanna head up there then?" Trent questioned as he started towards the elevator.

"Sounds good," Conner nodded as he followed Trent. Just as they reached the elevator, Conner stopped. "You know what; I'll meet you up there in a bit." He commented.

"Everything okay?" Trent asked. Conner nodded.

"Yeah, I just need to get something, I'll see you upstairs," he assured him.

"Sure, take your time." Trent nodded as he moved into the elevator. Conner nodded and gave him a small wave as the elevator's doors closed. He glanced around before spotting the sign reading 'Gift Shop' with an arrow pointing to the left. Conner followed the sign until he reached the small alcove sized store within the hospital. He wandered into the store and began to glance around.

"Can I help you?" The young woman at the front of the store questioned. Conner looked over at her.

"Um, sure," he replied. "My girlfriend's here…..I just wanted to get her some things…." He replied.

"Helpful." She laughed before moving over to where Conner stood. "What kind of things?" Conner glanced around the store.

"Uh….still thinking…..I guess flowers, and a bear?" He replied.

"Alright, we're getting there." She grabbed Conner's arm and pulled him over to the flowers. "What kind does your girlfriend like?" Conner paused for a moment as he tried to think.

"I'm not sure," he muttered, slightly crestfallen. "I think she likes lilies," he said.

"Hey, lilies are a great option." The woman smiled. "What color?"

"Yellow," Conner replied without hesitation.

"Excellent choice." She smiled as she picked out enough for a large bouquet. "Now, you said something about a bear?" Conner nodded. The woman placed a hand on his shoulder and directed him towards the stuffed animal display. He spotted one right away. A medium sized brown bear that had a small red pillow tucked between its hands with _'I Love You'_ printed on it.

"That one." Conner stated as he grabbed it and held it. The woman smiled.

"Great choice," she replied.

"Thanks." He murmured softly. The woman held the flowers in one hand as she took the bear from him.

"Alright, I'll just start ringing this up, is there anything else you'd like to get?" She asked. Conner paused for a moment.

"This might sound weird... But do you know where I cane buy a puppy?" The woman paused from wrapping the flowers in decorative yellow cellophane and looked at him.

"A puppy?" She asked, a little thrown by that. "Uh…..I think there's a pet store a couple of blocks from here," she stated.

"Fantastic, thank you." Conner smiled. The woman nodded. Once she was done bundling up the flowers she typed in the cost of the flowers and the bear into the register.

"$47.89" She commented. Conner cringed slightly before pulling his wallet out.

"Do you take credit cards?" He asked. The woman nodded. "Great," he replied as he pulled a card out. She quickly rang through his credit card and once it had been accepted, she ripped the slip off and handed him a pen.

"Just need your autograph." Conner nodded and took the slip and pen from her. He quickly signed his name on the dotted line and handed both items back to her.

"I've put a nice vase in the bag for the lilies." She commented as she handed his purchased items over.

"Thank you," Conner smiled as he took his items from her.

"Your welcome." Came her reply. "I hope your girlfriend gets better soon."

"Thanks," he replied before leaving the shop. He moved back the way he had originally came to where the elevators were. He balanced the flowers and bear in one arm as he pressed the elevator call button and waited. The elevator dinged a few moments later as he climbed in and pressed the button for the 8th floor. Conner leaned against the side of the elevator as he waited for it to reach the 8th floor. As the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, Conner stepped off and headed back down the familiar hallway. Within moments he was back at Kira's room and walked in. Trent was occupying the chair that he had been in previously, a magazine in his hands. His head shot up as the door opened.

"Hey man." He commented.

"Hey," Conner replied. "Any news?" He asked. Trent shook his head.

"No, nothing yet," he replied. Sighing, Conner set the bear down on Kira's bed so that he could take the flowers and vase out of the bag.

"Nice flowers." Trent commented, hoping to get his friend's mind off of things.

"Thanks," Conner replied. He picked the vase up at went to fill it with some water in the bathroom. "I hope Kira likes them."

"I bet she will." Trent replied with a grin. "And the bear too... What else you got tucked up your sleeve for her?" Conner chuckled and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nothing," he replied.

"Uh huh... Likely story." Trent laughed. Conner chuckled and left the bathroom. He set the vase on the table by Kira's bed. He spent a moment arranging the flowers so that all of them would be visible, and just as he reached over to grab the bear and place it beside them, the door opened. Conner quickly stuffed the bear behind his back and threw himself into the remaining chair.

"We're back." The orderly commented as he pushed Kira's wheelchair into view.

"Hey," Conner softly spoke to Kira. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Like shit." She replied with a shrug. The orderly wheeled Kira closer to the bed. Once the chair was close enough, the orderly helped Kira out of the chair and over to her bed.

"The doctor will be in shortly to go over your results," the orderly stated before wheeling the now empty chair out of the room.

"Thanks." Kira mumbled as she shifted on the bed and pulled the blanket up. She turned slightly to look at Conner and her eyes caught the flowers. She stared at the flowers for a moment before looking at Conner. "Did you get these?" She asked.

"Maybe." He smiled at her softly. "Depends on if you like them or not." Kira couldn't help it as a smile formed on her lips, her first smile since waking up.

"I like them," she murmured.

"I'm glad." Conner commented softly. "I do have something else for you though..."

"You do?" Kira asked. Conner nodded and shifted in his seat to produce the teddy bear. Trent slowly excused himself from the room, giving the couple some alone time. Kira gasped slowly as Conner handed the teddy bear. Kira looked down at the stuffed animal, her smile growing.

"Its adorable, I love it," she commented. She looked up at Conner and beckoned him closer. Conner grinned and shifted his chair closer to the bed. Once he was close enough, Kira placed her hand on the back of his neck and drew him closer for a kiss. "Thank you, Conner," she murmured against his lips.

"You're welcome Kir." He smiled softly. Kira sighed and rested her forehead against his.

"Happier now?" Conner asked as his hand slipped into hers.

"A little, yeah," she said. Conner gently squeezed her hand.

"Just a little?" He asked. Kira sighed and lightly kissed his cheek.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I just….hate feeling this crappy…..which only makes me feel even crappier."

"I'm sorry that you feel like crap." He replied softly. "But I'm glad we came back..." Conner squeezed her hand gently. "I do have one more surprise for you... Might make you feel a lot better."

"What is it?" Kira asked. Conner chuckled.

"Well if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise," he teased.

"Well that's unfair Jock." She commented. "You tell me you have another surprise, but won't tell me what." Conner grinned.

"It is what it is, Rockstar," he replied.

"Meanie." Kira pouted slightly as she hugged her new bear close. Conner chuckled and placed a light kiss on her forehead. There was a light knock on the door before the doctor moved into the room. There was a light knock on the door before the doctor moved into the room.

"Your scans came in," the doctor commented to Kira as she entered the room.

"Uh huh?" Kira replied, crossing her fingers that the news was good.

"Well... It's not good news, but it's not bad either." The doctor stated as she sat on the edge of Kira's bed. "It looks like one of the bruises has ruptured and caused some internal bleeding in your stomach."

"What do you mean? Is she okay?" Conner asked, panic in his tone.

"It's not serious right now." Dr. Burak replied, hoping to avoid Conner's panic. "I'm consulting with an internal specialist right now to see what the best course of action is in Kira's case... But our only option might be surgery."

"Surgery?" Kira asked, her voice thin and shaky.

"Yes." The doctor nodded carefully. "It wouldn't be major surgery." She continued. "We're going to run some more tests and do an ultrasound to see where the majority of the bleeding is, and hopefully we'll be able to do a non-invasive form of surgery, known as laparoscopy."

"What's that?" Conner asked, lightly rubbing Kira's hand.

"What we do, is make two incisions in Kira's stomach, one in her abdomen, and then one in her belly button. Once those have been made, we put the microscope in via her belly button, over to where the bleeding is." The doctor replied. "Once we find the bleeding, we'll insert a suction tube to remove it."

"And that will stop any more bleeding, right?" Conner asked.

"Hopefully, yes." She replied with a smile and a nod. "Again, you'll have to stay a full day extra so that we can make sure there are no complications. Barring any strain, Kira should be back to normal within three weeks."

"Three weeks?" Kira spoke, not at all pleased about that.

"Three weeks until your stitches are fully healed and closed up." The doctor corrected. "Most people are able to go back to a normal lifestyle within three days of the surgery." Conner sighed and lightly brushed the side of her cheek with his fingers.

"Kira, the important thing is that you're okay, not how long your recovery time is," Conner commented. Kira just nodded in reply, not trusting her voice to form words.

"If I can get you to sign the medical forms right away, we can get you into surgery tonight Kira." Dr. Burak commented.

"We'll get them signed," Conner nodded, speaking for Kira.

"I have interns doing some research right now, and one of my colleagues is meeting me in a few minutes to discuss them." Came the response. "But Kira, this is by far the safest and fastest method to solving this problem." Dr. Burak moved off the bed and closer to Kira. "I'm asking you to sign the forms in advance of me having this discussion with my colleague, so that if we determine that it's our only option, we can get you in as soon as possible."

"Okay, I guess," Kira numbly replied.

"It'll be okay." Dr. Burak replied. She handed Kira a set of forms attached to a clipboard and pen. It took a few moments for Kira to fill out the required information before she passed it back to the doctor. The doctor smiled and took the clipboard back. "I'll be back soon," she promised before leaving the room. Kira said nothing as the doctor left, but chose to pull the bear tighter against her chest.

"It's going to be okay," Conner murmured as he kissed her cheek.

"I'm scared." She whispered, glancing up at him. Conner moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I know," he replied, "I am too, but the doctor caught the bleeding right away, and they're going to get you into surgery tonight to fix it. That has to be a good sign," he replied. She moved one of her hands off the bear and gripped Conner's hand tightly.

"I don't want to die Conner." She commented softly. Conner kissed her cheek.

"You won't, Kir," Conner murmured. "They're going to do the surgery to fix the problem and make you all better, it's going to be okay," he assured her.

"Will you be there when I wake up?" Came her question.

"Of course," Conner replied. "I can even ask the doctor if I can be in there with you, if that'll make you feel better," he offered.

"I don't think they'll let you." Kira murmured in response.

"I'll be very insistent and demand that they let me," he smiled. Kira stroked his face gently.

"It's okay... As long as you're there when I wake up, that's all I need."

"You sure?" Conner asked. Kira nodded. Conner smiled and pulled her hand to his lips and lightly kissed her palm. "Alright then," he replied.

"Where'd Trent go?" Kira asked after a few moments.

"I'm not sure," Conner chuckled.

"Did someone call my name?" Trent commented as the door to Kira's room swung closed. "Sorry, I figured that you guys wanted some alone time." Conner smiled.

"Thanks, man," he replied.

"No problem." He shrugged as he resumed the spot he had previously occupied. "So what's the verdict?"

"Seems that one of my bruises ruptured and led to some internal bleeding," Kira grumbled.

"Holy shit." Trent breathed as he sat forward. "Are you okay?" Kira simply sighed and leaned against Conner.

"They're talking about taking her in for a little surgery to stop the bleeding," Conner said. Trent's eyes widened slowly as he nodded.

"Please don't freak out." Kira mumbled as she closed her eyes. "Because if someone does, then so will I." Conner rubbed her back.

"No one's freaking out, Rockstar," he gently told her.

"Good." Came her reply as she curled closer to Conner. Conner kissed the top of her head and continued rubbing her back. Almost 40 minutes had passed before the door to Kira's private room swung open and Dr. Burak reappeared.

"Alright Kira, we're gonna take you down now."

"Are you doing the laparoscopy?" Kira asked, wondering how the doctor's meeting with her college and gone.

"That's the general consensus right now." The older woman replied as she was joined by an orderly. "The problem is that we won't know if the laparoscopy is going to be effective until we get in there."

"What do you mean?" Conner asked, beginning to worry. "I thought you said you were going to do an ultrasound….isn't that supposed to give you a good idea of what will and won't work before you go in there?" He asked.

"Yes, we're going to do that before we even open Kira up." Dr. Burak replied. "However, nothing is guaranteed until we're actually in surgery, Kira is under and we begin our work."

"It's okay." Kira murmured softly to Conner. The orderly moved from Dr. Burak's side and quickly began to prepare Kira's hospital bed for its trip down to surgery. Conner slowly and reluctantly moved away to let the orderly work. Once everything had been disconnected, he pulled the arms up on Kira's bed and nodded at the Doctor.

"The two of you are free to wait in here, or in the waiting room up on the surgery ward," the doctor stated to Trent and Conner.

"Thanks." Trent nodded at the doctor as Kira was lead from the room. Kira tilted her head back to look at Conner as she was wheeled out of the room. Conner gave her a reassuring smile before she disappeared out of the door.

"You okay?" Trent questioned as the door swung closed. Conner sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Not really," he admitted.

"Wanna go wait upstairs?" Conner nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds good," he replied. The two headed up to the 11th floor where the surgical wing was. They walked to the waiting area, where they saw a few other people waiting on news regarding loved ones. Conner and Trent were able to find two empty seats and made their way over their and sat down. The hours passed slowly for both men, although it was excruticatingatley long for Conner. It was nearly midnight when the doors to one of the scrub rooms opened and Dr. Burak walked out, her scrubs stained in blood, her face sweaty. Conner and Trent quickly stood up as she approached, Conner's eyes zeroing on the blood.

"Wha…Is everything okay?" Conner choked out, his throat tight.

"Everything is great." She nodded with a smile. "We just finished Kira's surgery... There was a little more blood than we were expecting to be honest, but it couldn't have gone better." Conner let out a woosh of breath he didn't even realize he had been holding.

"Sh..she's going to be okay?" Conner asked, wanting to be sure he heard correctly.

"We're going to monitor her for a while, just to make sure there aren't any complications... But barring that, she's going to be fine," replied Dr. Burak. Trent smiled and lightly smacked Conner's back.

"Breathe, Conner. The doctor said she's going to be fine," he said.

"Thank god." Conner murmured softly as he could feel tears welling in his eyes. Dr. Burak smiled.

"We're going to be transferring her to the recovery ward on the tenth floor in a few minutes. You're welcomed to sit with her. She's still under anesthesia though, so don't be surprised if she's not exactly talkative, or awake," she chuckled lightly.

"Will you move her back to her room later?" Trent questioned.

"At some point, but I don't think it'll be any time before tomorrow," she replied.

"Really?" Conner questioned. "Why?"

"We want to keep a close eye on her for the night to make sure there haven't been any complications. The recovery ward has a larger staff than the private wing so if anything does come up, she'll be taken care of with a quicker response time," she replied.

"Oh..." Conner breathed.

"Well, I should go back in and make sure she's ready to be moved," the doctor said before she made her way back to the operating room. "I'll send a nurse out in a few minutes when she's situated in the recovery room."

"Thank you," Conner sincerely stated.

"You're welcome." Dr. Burak smiled before moving back into the OR. Conner sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Thank god she's okay," he muttered.

"You knew she would be." Trent replied. "Kira's a fighter... She wouldn't let this take her down." Conner smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you're right," he replied. They sat in silence for a few minutes before a short nurse came out.

"Excuse me, are you with Ms. Ford?" She asked quietly, noticing the families around them.

"We are, yes," Trent spoke up, gesturing to himself and Conner.

"Come with me." She advised before moving back towards where she had come from. The two did as she said and followed her out of the waiting area. She directed them back towards the elevator and moved up to the 10th floor, where the Recovery Ward was. She led them to a wing that looked much like where Kira had been before, except that it had more rooms lined along the hallways and the main area was buzzing with more activity as more nurses and staff members went about the floor. "They just brought Miss Ford in and are settling her in," the nurse stated as she led them down one of the hallways. She stopped at a door just as Dr. Burak and a few orderlies walked out. The orderlies continued on their way as the doctor stopped outside the door to speak with Trent and Conner.

"She's still sleeping," she informed them. "Just so you don't worry, I want to let you know we've got her hooked up to some equipment. It's just a heart monitor for now while she's sleeping, an IV drip with a small dosage of pain medication, and some oxygen. But there'll all just out of precaution and normal this soon after surgery. She's doing fine and you shouldn't worry about anything," she assured them.

"Thank you." Trent smiled as he shook the doctor's hand. Dr. Burak nodded.

"I spoke to the staff, and though it's not usually allowed, I pulled some strings to allow you both to stay with her. If you need anything brought in….a cot, blankets, anything, just stop by the nurses' station and they'll help you," she stated before she and the nurse who had brought them to the room left. Conner quickly moved into the room that the doctor had just exited... Trent followed behind him and shut the door once they were both inside. There they saw Kira asleep. As the doctor had stated, there was a heart monitor rhythmically beeping by her bed and an IV bag on her other side, connected to the inside of her elbow. There was a small oxygen apparatus looped over her head resting right under her nose, shooting air into her nostrils as she slept. As Conner moved over to her bed, he pulled his shirt up slightly and pulled out the bear that he'd gotten Kira from where it was tucked in his jeans. Gently, he lifted her arm and tucked the bear under it before setting her arm back down and slipping his hand into hers. Trent moved one of the chairs in the room closer to the bed right behind Conner for him to sit. Conner gave his friend a grateful nod before sitting down, his hand never leaving Kira's. Moving to the other side of the bed, Trent grabbed the other free chair before sitting down.

"We should probably call the others at some point, let them know what's gone on," Trent commented.

"I guess," he replied. He shrugged. "It's late; we can call them in the morning."

"Oh right." Trent commented. "I forgot how late it was." Conner nodded and absentmindedly rubbed the back of Kira's hand with her thumb. They sat with Kira for an hour before Trent excused himself to go to the bathroom and then to the nurses station to see about cots for himself and Conner. Conner simply continued to watch Kira sleep, occasionally kissing her hand and stroking her forehead with his free hand. A few moments after Trent left, Kira stirred lightly, a soft groan left her lips as she struggled to open her eyes. Conner smiled and shifted closer to her.

"Hey," he tenderly murmured. Kira groggily groaned in response and slightly turned her head to where she heard his voice coming from.

"Hi," she murmured her voice thick and slightly hoarse.

"How do you feel?" Came his soft question. Kira's face scrunched up slightly as she thought about that for a moment.

"A little floaty," she murmured.

"Floaty?" Conner asked.

"Uh huh," she replied.

"Good floaty or bad floaty?" Conner asked, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Kira seemed to shrug against the bed.

"I dunno," she mumbled. "Just floaty…or….foggy," she muttered. Conner couldn't help chuckle slightly at her changing assessment.

"Well, they do have you on some pain meds," he said, "maybe that's making you feel floaggy," he teased.

"Maybe," Kira agreed.

"Why don't you try and get some more sleep." He advised gently. "Trent's getting us cots to sleep on, so I'll be here when you wake up... Just squeeze my hand."

"Okay," Kira said. She paused a moment as she finally noticed the texture against her other arm. She opened her eyes halfway to see the bear tucked under her arm. She smiled and gave Conner's hand a loving squeeze.

"Love you." Conner stated gently as her eyes slipped shut again. He heard Kira sleepily mumble something that sounded like 'love you too' as she drifted back to sleep. Trent returned a few moments later with an orderly, each pushing a cot with blankets and pillows draped over top. Trent moved his cot near the wall where he had previously been sitting, while Conner got up and moved aside to let the orderly get the other cot as close to Kira's bed as possible. It took them a few minutes to get the blankets situated properly on the bed. Once Trent had completed his, he pulled off his shoes, socks and jeans, and quickly changed into the scrub pants the orderly had tucked into their blankets. Conner sat on the edge of his cot to pull his shoes and socks off as well before standing up and changing out of the jeans and into the scrub pants. Once they had finished, both men climbed onto their cots and under the thin blankets. Conner turned onto his side facing Kira and stretched his arm out the small space between his cot and her bed. He let his forearm comfortably rest on her bed as he clasped her hand in his. After a few moments, Conner drifted to sleep.

Ryder sighed softly as sleep left him. He rolled onto his stomach, his arm stretching out at his side as he woke up. He lifted his head up a little perplexed as his fingers came in contact with some sort of course material. He blinked his bleary eyes a few times until he saw his laundered clothes folded neatly beside him. He slowly turned onto his back and sat up, looking around the empty room.

"Jiao?" He called out. He frowned when he didn't get an answer. He grabbed his boxers from his stack of clothes and pulled them on before climbing out of bed. He yawned slightly and pushed his loose hair back as he walked out of Jiao's bedroom. "Jiao?" He called out again as he came across the living room, which was just as empty as the bedroom. He patted towards the kitchen. All he saw there was Tybalt eating out of his wet food dish. He left the kitchen and walked down the hallway towards the bathroom when he heard the soft sound of the shower running behind the closed bathroom door. Smiling slowly, Ryder opened the door and wandered into the steam filled room. He saw Jiao's silhouette against the shower curtain through the steam and watched as she seemed to be fully distracted under the water stream, running her hands through her hair. Ryder grinned and slowly slipped his boxers off, careful not to make too much of a sound. He set his boxers on the sink counter before approaching the empty end of the tub. He slowly peeled the side of the curtain aside and climbed in behind Jiao. She continued to be oblivious to his presence, with her face tilted up under the shower and her eyes closed. Jiao carefully stepped up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.

"Oh my god," Jiao gasped, startled, as she turned her head to the side. "Jesus, give me a heart attack why don't you?" She breathed.

"Damn... You figured out my plan." He chuckled. Jiao let out a deep breath as her startled heart settled down. Ryder smiled and pulled her closer against him as he gently kissed her shoulder.

"I saw my clothes," he commented, "you didn't have to bring them up, I could've done that," he said. Jiao shrugged against him.

"Figured you'd need them…..you know…..in case…." She muttered. Ryder furrowed his brow and lifted his head from her shoulder.

"In case of what?" He asked. Jiao bit her lip a moment before answering.

"In case you….wanted to slip out unnoticed or something," she mumbled.

"Hmm..." He trailed off as he kissed his way up her neck. "And leave some gorgeous woman high and dry when she wanted round two? I don't think so." Jiao let out a content sigh as she felt Ryder kiss along her jaw.

"Well….I wasn't sure," she murmured. "Just thought I'd leave the option there for you, in case you wanted it," she replied. Ryder slipped his arms off of her and took hold of her shoulder to turn her around to face him.

"Is this your way of telling me you want me to take that option?" He carefully asked. He was relieved to see her shake her head.

"No," she replied. "I'm just saying….I wouldn't have been too surprised, or held it against you, if I had gotten out of the shower and you were gone."

"I'm not that person." He replied. Jiao slowly nodded and let out a breath.

"Okay," she replied. Ryder wrapped his arms around her waist and tilted his head down to kiss her lips.

"Need any help washing up?" He huskily asked against her lips. Jiao giggled softly and slid her arms around his shoulders.

"You should've gotten here earlier, I'm all clean now," she replied.

"Well that's just sad." He pouted softly. Jiao giggled again.

"Sorry, sleepyhead," she teased. Ryder sighed and let one of his hands idly slide down from her waist to her backside.

"I guess we'll just have to figure out something else to do in here," he murmured.

"Oh?" Jiao innocently replied.

"Uh huh," Ryder replied.

"Like what?" She questioned. Ryder grinned.

"I do recall us talking about a round two," he teased, his hand tenderly squeezing her backside.

"I do remember that conversation." Jiao commented around a giggle.

"Good," Ryder said, his grin widening. He kissed her deeply as he carefully turned her in the tub so her back was pressed against the shower wall.

"Never had shower sex before." She commented breathlessly as he pulled away from the kiss.

"Really?" Ryder smiled. "Well then, I'll be sure to be gentle, since it's your first time," he teased.

"Tease." Jiao commented, blowing a raspberry at him. Ryder chuckled.

"Perhaps," he replied. He slid his hands down and grabbed the back of her thighs before hoisting her up, balancing her between the wall and his body. Quickly, Jiao's arms moved up to around his neck. Ryder shifted closer between her open legs and aligned his hips to hers. He leaned in and resumed kissing her as he slid his erection into her. Jiao gasped as he pushed inside her, her walls stretching to accommodate him once again. She tightened her grip on him as Ryder pulled his hips back and thrust back into her. Jiao's head fell back against the wall as she moaned. Ryder groaned huskily as she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. After a few more thrusts Ryder's pace quickened, sending Jiao to new heights.

"Fuck…" Jiao gasped as he found a rhythm that occasionally hit the receptive spots inside of her.

"Uh huh." Ryder grunted against her neck as he thrust upwards again. Jiao's head slumped forward against his shoulder as she continued to moan loudly, a pleasurable shudder running through her body.

"You keep this up," Jiao panted against his ear as Ryder continued to thrust into her, "and I might decide to keep you around for round three," she murmured before lightly nibbling on his ear lobe.

"I might be okay with that." He commented around a groan as he could feel his release approaching. He rolled his hips to aim each of his thrusts against the particularly sensitive spot he had been hitting before, coaxing her climax closer and closer to the surface. After a few more quick thrusts, both Jiao and Ryder exclaimed loudly as their joint climaxes ripped through them. Both panted raggedly as they came down from their release. Ryder let go of Jiao's thighs and let her set her feet on the shower floor. Jiao leaned back against the wall with Ryder resting against her.

"I hope you enjoyed your first foray into shower sex," Ryder lowly chuckled against her neck. Jiao replied with a small giggle.

"It certainly didn't suck," she replied, running a hand through the long wet locks of his hair. Ryder chuckled and kissed her neck.

"Good to know," he replied. The two stayed in each other's arms in the shower for a few moments, recuperating. Ryder bit back a smile at the thought that technically what they were doing could fall under 'cuddling'. He decided against pointing that out to Jiao, afraid it would ruin the moment. After a while, the water began to get a little cold. Jiao sighed.

"I think we've used up all my hot water," she commented.

"I know where we can find a warm bed." Ryder chuckled. Jiao laughed softly.

"True," she replied. "But we should probably dry off first, I'd rather not get my sheets and mattress all wet," she commented.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea." He commented as he kissed her neck. Jiao smiled and reached over to shut the shower off. The two pulled their arms off of each other and climbed out of the shower. Jiao moved over to the closet and slid on the white bathrobe she had left hanging on the door before handing a couple of towels to Ryder and keeping one for herself to dry her hair. Ryder set one of the towels down on the edge of the tub and used the other to pat himself dry before wrapping it around his waist and using the discarded towel to ruffle his hair dry. By the sink, Jiao was busy drying her own hair before dragging a comb though it. Ryder walked up behind her and wrapped one arm around her waist while the other reached around to grab his boxers from the counter. "We should probably eat something at some point, before going into round three," he commented, lightly kissing her cheek. Jiao chuckled.

"I guess you have a point," she replied. "We haven't eaten anything in…at least twelve hours….that, plus our," she paused a moment as she blushed lightly, "activities…We're going to go into starvation mode soon," she replied. Ryder chuckled and kissed her cheek again.

"We finished off all the pizza," he commented.

"Right," Jiao nodded. "I've kind of gotten my fill of pizza for now anyway," she commented as she moved out of his arms a bit to pull her hair back in a braid. "There's this Chinese place that tends to be open late. Its not exactly high quality….but it does the trick for late night delivery dining options," she shrugged.

"Sounds good to me." He murmured against her skin. Jiao finished braiding her hair and wrapped the end with a hair tie on her counter. She paused a moment and tilted her head back to look at Ryder.

"I'm sorry, I'm being incredibly rude," she said, a light teasing tone in her voice. "Do you need a scrunchie or something?" She smirked. Ryder rolled his eyes and retaliated by giving her backside a light playful pinch.

"Very funny," he dryly replied. Jiao giggled and shrugged as she turned around to face him.

"I'm sorry," she giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Never been with a long haired guy before, not sure what the hair product etiquette is in this situation," she continued to tease. Ryder chuckled.

"Oh, none of those classy guys you know rock the long haired 'do?" He teased, causing Jiao to giggle some more.

"Are you kidding? At the schools I went to growing up, boys with hair pass their ears were a serious dress code violation," she replied.

"Talk about a dictatorship," Ryder commented. Jiao laughed.

"Well, thankfully NYU was less totalitarian," she giggled. "It was practically a breeding ground for scraggly hipster types."

"Are you calling me a hipster?" He asked as his hands moved to her sides.

"No," she replied. "Just saying that when I was in college, the types of guys from high school were more of a minority in hipster Mecca," she chuckled. "Why, would calling you a hipster be offensive?" She teased.

"Not at all." He laughed. Jiao giggled and threaded her fingers through his hair.

"Alright then, I guess technically you could qualify as a hipster," she teased. Ryder chuckled.

"Good to know," he replied before giving her a light kiss. Jiao smiled and eased out of his arms.

"Alright, I'm going to go order dinner. Is there anything you specifically want?" She asked.

"Well... I don't think you're on the menu." He teased. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Oh my god, that was just beyond corny," she laughed.

"You love it." He laughed as he kissed her softly. He felt Jiao quickly duck away from the kiss, a strange tense energy around her.

"Um…well I'm just going to go put some clothes on and….order….so…yeah," she mumbled before making her way to the bathroom door.

"Alright..." He trailed off. Jiao quickly disappeared out of the door, leaving a perplexed Ryder alone in the bathroom. Ryder sighed and slipped his boxers on once he had dried off enough. By the time he came out of the bathroom, he found Jiao sitting in the living room, her knees up and her feet against the edge of her coffee table. She was dressed in pink pajama pants and a white t-shirt and looking over a take-out menu with her cell phone perched on her lap.

"Hey." He smiled as he moved into the living room and sat down next to her. Jiao looked up at him and gave him a small forced smile.

"Hey," she replied. Ryder frowned, picking up on the tension he had felt just moments before in the bathroom.

"Alright," he began, "what's going on?" He asked. Jiao shrugged.

"Nothing," she replied as she looked back at the menu. "Just trying to decide what to order," she stated. Ryder sighed.

"You know that's not what I'm talking about," he replied, lightly lifting her chin up so she'd look at him. "You're having another one of those hot and cold moments…weird thing is no one knocked on the door this time, so I don't know what's bringing it on now," he lightly joked. Jiao pursed her lips and set the menu and cell phone aside as she stood up. She paced for a few moments before stopping and looking at him.

"Look….I….I want to make sure you're not…under the wrong impression," she said.

"About?" He asked.

"Us," she replied. "I….um…." She sighed. "What we've done….its been great and everything. But….don't get the wrong idea," she said.

"Uh..." He trailed off, not quite following her train of logic. "And what's this wrong idea you don't want me having?" He asked. Jiao bit her lip.

"That this is some sort of….relationship, or something," she replied.

"...Who said anything about a relationship?" Came his response as his brows furrowed. Jiao blew out a breath.

"I just wanted to be sure we're on the same page here," she replied. "I mean you used the L word in there," she went on, jutting her thumb towards the bathroom, "and your tone was just…relationship-y. I just think you should know that that's not something I want."

"...Just so we're clear then." Ryder commented. "I can't say the L word around you, in any sense?" He shook his head, not understanding why she was getting so high-strung. "I mean, is that up there with no cuddling on the list of rules I'm supposed to follow?" Jiao sighed.

"I'm not saying you can't use the L word….just…the context, and the moment….it felt like something," she replied.

"You do realize I was teasing you, right?" Came his response. "I mean, if you're focusing on context…the context was just us teasing each other. I didn't realize to you that meant I was looking for a commitment or something." Jiao sighed and shrugged.

"Okay, fine, whatever. Guess we just shared our intentions, or lack thereof, over nothing," she muttered.

"Sorry." He replied sincerely after a few moments. Jiao sighed and simply shrugged. "Come here?" He requested. Jiao sighed and moved back over to him. Ryder took a hold of her hand once she was close enough and gently pulled her down to sit across his lap.

"Ugh, I feel stupid," she muttered. Ryder chuckled and wrapped his arms around her and held her close against his chest.

"It's okay." He murmured softly. He kissed her cheek before pulling one arm off of her and reaching for the menu. "So," he began, sensing she would prefer a change of subject, "what dishes do you recommend?" He asked as he held the menu open in front of them.

"The Kung-Po Chicken is pretty good." She replied as she glanced at the menu.

"Uh huh," Ryder considered.

"The shrimp with broccoli isn't horrible either," she replied. "Oh, and they have surprisingly good sesame dumplings," she said.

"Sesame dumplings? What's that, like dumplings with sesame seeds in them?" He asked. Jiao giggled.

"No, they're regular meat dumplings in this hot and kind of spicy sesame sauce," she replied.

"Sounds delicious." He commented. Jiao smiled and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I guess one of us can get the chicken, the other the shrimp, we share….and we can split the dumplings," she suggested. Ryder smiled and nodded.

"Sounds like a good plan," he replied.

"Great," she replied as she sat up and picked her phone up. She turned the menu over in his hand to see the number and quickly dialed. Ryder continued to hold her on his lap as she held her phone to her ear and waited for the other end to pick up. He couldn't help smile a bit as he heard her begin to speak Chinese the second her call was answered. He simply listened to her talk for a few moments, unable to make heads or tails of what she was saying. After a few moments she ended the call and set her phone down on her lap. "It should be here in twenty minutes," she stated.

"I'll take your word for it." He chuckled lightly. Jiao grinned.

"Sorry, sometimes it's just easier to order in Chinese," she replied.

"No worries." Ryder smiled as he kissed her. Jiao smiled and kissed him back. Carefully, Ryder laid Jiao on her back along the couch, never once breaking the kiss. Jiao wrapped her legs around his waist as they continued to kiss. Ryder ran one of his hands up her side until he reached her shirt covered breast. She smiled lightly under him as he slowly moved his hand over her breast and squeezed it gently.

"I really don't think we have enough time to do round three before the food gets here," she murmured against his lips.

"Who said anything about starting round three just yet?" He questioned as his lips left hers and moved to her neck. Jiao moaned softly at the feel of his hand on her breast and his lips lightly sucking her neck.

"Oh, okay," she breathed out, her eyes drifting shut in delight. Ryder grinned against her neck and pulled his hand away from her breast, just long enough to slip it under her shirt. She sighed happily when his hand reclaimed its former place. She ran her hand down his side until she reached the waist band of his boxers. She grinned as she slipped her hand in his underwear.

"Don't start something you can't finish." He murmured against her neck as she slipped her hand around his stiffing appendage.

"Who said I don't plan on finishing?" She replied as she moved her hand along his erection. "Consider it returning the favor from earlier today," she grinned, thinking back to Ryder's actions before Hayden had interrupted them.

"Oh fuck." He groaned against her skin as his arms pulled her tighter against him. Jiao quickened her pace, her hand tightening around him as it moved along his length. Ryder panted and grunted as Jiao's movements brought him closer to his release. "Jiao…" He groaned against her neck as she lightly ran her thumb over his tip. After a few more of her strokes, Ryder tightened his grip on her as he climaxed. He groaned after a moment as his body went limp against her.

"Holy fuck." He murmured lazily against her. Jiao giggled and kissed the side of his forehead.

"Glad you enjoyed it," she replied.

"Uh huh." Came his response as Jiao slowly pulled her hand away. Jiao smiled and lightly stroked his back.

"You know, you're going to have to sit up at some point," she teased. "I can't exactly answer the door when our food gets here with you lying on top of me."

"Not yet." He murmured. "Like being on top." Jiao laughed.

"Is that so?" She asked, idly tracing circles on his back.

"Uh huh," he replied. "In fact, I think I'll be including that in round three," he added.

"Oh really? Well what if I decide I want to be on top?" She teased.

"Hmm," Ryder murmured, as if to consider that idea. "I guess we'll just have to have a round four then, to be fair," he teased. Jiao laughed.

"Sounds like you're trying to wear me out," she giggled. Ryder chuckled against her neck.

"Not intentionally," he replied. Jiao giggled and sighed.

"I don't know, I think three might be my limit. I guess we'll have to save round four for another time," she murmured. Ryder slowly lifted his head up to look at her, grinning slightly.

"Are you implying you want this to be an on going thing?" He teased. Jiao blinked, processing what she had just said.

"Well…I guess…..it could be," she replied. She rolled her eyes. "Wipe that grin off your face, its not like I want to you as my beau or something." She shrugged slightly. "I'm just saying….if some other time we find ourselves wanting to…..we could. I mean….its not a big deal."

"Just sex." He commented.

"Exactly," Jiao replied. "No drama, no strings, just plain ole great sex," she said.

"Great sex sounds good to me." He chuckled. Jiao giggled.

"Glad to hear it," she replied before kissing him. Slowly, Ryder's hands slipped down her sides and to the drawstring on her pajama bottoms.

"Food's going to be here any minute," she lightly warned him between kisses.

"Guess I should hold off with the whole getting you naked thing then." He murmured against her lips. "Since I don't want you thinking I'm a minute man." Jiao giggled.

"Wise decision," she teased. "Although, if you did get me naked and I went to answer the door….I'm pretty sure we'd get our order for free, or half off at the very least," she joked.

"As long as they didn't want to join in." Ryder laughed. Jiao chuckled.

"Aw, Ryder doesn't share?" She teased.

"Nope," he replied, moving back down to her neck. Just as he had begun to nip at the skin on her neck, the doorbell rang. "Damn. It." Ryder groaned. Jiao giggled.

"I told you," she replied. Carefully, he pushed himself off her.

"I'll let you get it." He chuckled as she rolled off the couch.

"Fine," Jiao said with a joking sigh as she moved over to her messenger bag and pulled her wallet out. Once she pulled it out she moved over to the couch. "You could go in the kitchen and get some plates out for us, you know…be useful," she teased as she gave his backside a playful swat on the way to the door.

"Kinky." He chuckled before moving towards the kitchen. Jiao laughed as she reached the door. She took a deep breath to settle herself before opening the front door to pay for their delivery. Ryder pulled out two plates and two sets of cutlery as he waited for Jiao to bring their food into the kitchen. A moment later, the front door closed and locked before she headed into the kitchen, holding a large brown bag.

"Do you want to eat in here, or watch another movie while we eat in my room?" Jiao asked as she set the bag down on her table.

"In here would probably be best." Ryder replied. "Otherwise I'd be too tempted to forget the food..." He winked at her playfully. Jiao chuckled.

"Oh dear, do you have so little self control?" She teased. "Makes me worry how tempted you will or won't be at times when we're not totally alone," she joked as she pulled their food containers out of the brown bag. Though she was joking, a part of her was a little concerned what would happen when they were out of her house and around the rest of the team.

"I'll do my best to behave myself in public." He chuckled. "Private... Probably not as much." Jiao blushed as she pulled the last container out and set the empty bag aside.

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied.

"Good." He grinned cheekily. It took a few minutes for the two to serve themselves. As Jiao had suggested, they each took a little of each main course and set the container of dumplings in the middle of the table to share. Jiao put the two containers of leftovers in the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water. As she returned to the table, she noticed that Ryder had taken his chair from its original place-across the table from hers—and moved it closer to her side of the table. Jiao shook her head and set the bottles down as she sat down.

"You can't even sit across from me while we're eating? That's just a little sad," she teased.

"Could be worse." He chuckled as she sat down.

"Oh, how's that?" She asked as she pulled out a set of chopsticks from the brown bag and pulled them apart.

"I don't know." He chuckled with a shrug. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Doofus," she teased as she reached into their shared container and pulled out a dumpling with her chopsticks.

"I might be a doofus..." He trailed off as his fingers skirted across her arm. Jiao sighed as a pleasant shiver ran through her at the touch of his fingers.

"Eat your food." She commented after a moment as his finger moved to the back of her neck.

"What's wrong, am I distracting you?" Ryder asked as his finger slowly brushed against the back of her neck.

"No," Jiao fibbed as she popped the dumpling in her mouth. She chewed for a few moments before swallowing. "It's just that, the longer you take to eat, the longer we have to postpone round three," she grinned.

"Hmm... You make a valid point." He chuckled. Jiao giggled and nodded.

"Figured you'd agree to my logic," she teased as Ryder pulled his hand away and began to eat his food.

"Oh I agree alright." He murmured huskily as he shoved part of a dumping into his mouth and let his eyes roam over her body. Jiao blushed slightly as she felt his eyes taking her in.

"Good," she replied before popping a piece of chicken into her mouth. Ryder smiled and continued to eat his food. As they quietly ate, Jiao felt one of Ryder's hands slip under the table and lightly caress her thigh. Jiao swallowed the food she had just been chewing and cast a glance his way. "What did we just discuss?" She asked. Ryder merely grinned impishly as he scooped up some food with his fork in the other hand.

"I can eat and do this at the same time," he replied as he kept his hand on her thigh.

"I thought that men sucked at multitasking." She teased. Ryder shrugged.

"I don't know about other men, but I'm pretty good at it," he replied, his hand slowly moving up her thigh and teasingly dipping between her legs.

"But how am I supposed to concentrate on eating when you're trying to turn me on?" Jiao commented around a gasp. Ryder grinned.

"Then perhaps it is you who sucks at multitasking," he teased as his hand lightly rubbed the crotch of her pajama bottoms. She set her fork down as she let out a low moan. Jiao's eyes drifted shut as Ryder's hand continued to move his hand against her, her legs parting slightly. Without warning, Ryder pulled his hand away and continued nonchalantly eating. Jiao's mouth fell open as her eyes darted sideways.

"Fucking tease." Ryder chuckled around his food before swallowing.

"Well, you'd stopped eating," he innocently replied, "figured I'd leave you alone to finish."

"Finish what exactly?" She commented, her eyebrows rising. Ryder laughed.

"Finish your food," he replied. "Why, what did you think I meant?" He asked with a grin. Jiao just stuck out her tongue at him.

"Nothing," she replied before resuming her meal. The two kept on eating for a while longer, Ryder cutting the last dumpling in half with his fork for them to share. He put one half on the edge of Jiao's plate before popping the remaining half in his mouth. Jiao smiled and ate her half. They were just finishing their plates when Ryder felt Jiao's hand on his lap. He paused, his fork mid-raised and gave her a sideways glance.

"What are you doing?" He suspiciously asked.

"Nothing," Jiao quipped as she chewed on a piece of broccoli. For a moment, the hand simply sat on his lap. Ryder continued eating and made nothing of it. A minute later, just as he had swallowed another forkful of food, he felt Jiao's hand begin to move against the front of his boxers.

"Nothing huh?" He groaned. Jiao smirked as she continued rubbing.

"Well, you know what they say," she commented. "Payback's a bitch." Ryder grunted in response. He felt her hand began to pull away and he snatched her wrist and pulled it back.

"You started this." He commented huskily. Jiao shook her head.

"Well, it wouldn't exactly be payback for what you did before, if I didn't stop," she teased.

"You could be the bigger person and not do exactly what I did before," Ryder huskily replied, desperate for her to continue.

"Hmm... I could..." She replied after a moment's thought. She idly let her fingers brush the bulge at the front of his boxers in a teasing manner.

"Jiao…." Ryder groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. He heard her chair scrape against the floor as she shifted closer to him, her hand back to rubbing him as she lightly kissed the side of his neck. Ryder moaned and leaned back in his chair as the sensation took over.

"I should probably stop," Jiao murmured against his neck.

"Don't you dare," Ryder muttered.

"Well, I'd hate for you to…wear out….in here, and have nothing for round three," she replied as she lightly nibbled his neck.

"I'll have plenty of energy." He commented huskily.

"If you say so," she murmured as she continued. After a few moments, Ryder groaned loudly, one of his hands tightly gripping the edge of the table as he climaxed.

"Holy..." He moaned as his head rolled backwards. Jiao chuckled and kissed the spot behind his ear.

"I guess I'll clear the table and let you catch your breath," she teased as she stood up.

"Thanks." Ryder replied. Ryder stayed in the chair and watched Jiao gather their plates and silverware. She dumped what little was left on their plates in the trash before setting the dishes in the sink. She moved back over to the table and collected the empty container, brown bag, and her chopsticks and threw them out as well. Once the table was cleared, she moved back to Ryder's chair and held her hand out to him.

"Think you can manage the walk from her to my room?" She grinned.

"I dunno." He replied. "I think I could make it as far as the table or floor though." He chuckled saucily. Jiao blushed.

"Well, that doesn't seem very practical," she replied. "We'd have to get up and go to my room afterwards anyway," she pointed out. Ryder shrugged.

"Eh, we can worry about that later," he chuckled.

"Really?" She giggled.

"Why not?" Ryder shrugged again. "What, don't tell me kitchen sex is also something you've never done before," he grinned. Jiao looked away, her blush increasing.

"How about we just take the half step for now and settle for living room sex," she replied, taking his hand and hauling him up to his feet. Ryder shook his head and allowed her to pull him along.

"Wow, talk about sexually repressed," he commented. "Your former boyfriends seriously lacked in the imagination department," he muttered. Jiao paused and looked at him, her jaw slightly tight.

"Would you rather no sex at all?" She replied. "Because comments like that will definitely have you going home right now."

"What?" He questioned, his tone confused. Jiao crossed her arms over her chest.

"The topic of ex-boyfriends, and how sexually repressed you seem to think I may be, totally off limits for discussion," she declared.

"I'm sorry Jiao." He replied sincerely. Jiao sighed and simply looked away. Ryder stepped closer and put his arms around her. "I really am," he gently stated. "I was only joking; I didn't mean to upset you." She said nothing as he rubbed her back softly for a few moments.

"For future reference." She murmured. Ryder let out a small relieved sigh at her forgiving him and not putting an end to everything that very moment.

"Future reference, got it," Ryder nodded. He gave her a quick gentle kiss as he continued to rub her back. "Well, we're half way to your room already….I guess we could just go in there," he shrugged, wanting to simply agree with whatever she might want at that moment. Jiao bit her lip for a moment before slowly sliding her arms up around his neck.

"Yeah, but we're already in the living room," she murmured, a small smile playing on her lips. "So, guess we could just…stay in here."

"Mmm... Living room sex." He chuckled against her lips. Jiao giggled as Ryder slowly backed her up towards the couch. As they moved, his hands went to the drawstring on her pants and slowly pulled the bow out. When they reached the couch, Ryder gently pushed her down to sit on the couch. Jiao followed his lead and sat down, her hands reaching out to pull his boxers down for him. "Wait," Ryder quickly spoke as he kneeled down in front of her. He leaned in and lightly kissed the side of her neck as his hands worked on getting her shirt off.

"Um, isn't removal of boxers kind of necessary for round three?" Jiao asked.

"Just wait," Ryder chuckled.

"For what?" Came her question as he pulled her shirt off. Instead of answering her, Ryder worked on getting her pants off. Jiao rolled her eyes at his lack of answer and simply leaned back to lift her hips up to aid him with the clothing removal. Once her pants were off. Jiao expected him to give her an answer, or get naked as well; instead he simply grinned and gently nudged her legs apart. Jiao's eyes widened as she finally understood. She blushed down to her shoulders and bit her lip. "Oh," she breathed. Ryder lightly brushed his fingers along the back of her knee.

"Problem?" He asked, not wanting to make her uncomfortable so soon after his earlier misstep. Jiao nervously gnawed on her lower lip for a moment before shaking her head.

"No," she replied. "Just…wasn't expecting this," she murmured.

"Expect the unexpected." He grinned. Jiao let out a breath as she watched Ryder lean closer and lightly brush his lips against her inner thigh. Her head lolled backwards as a soft gasp escaped her lips. Ryder smiled and lightly trailed kisses along her skin until he reached the apex of her thighs. Jiao moaned as she felt his lips on her, his breath hitting her bundle of nerves. "Ready?" He murmured huskily as his fingers trailed softly against her bare thighs.

"Yes," she replied in a soft excited whisper. Ryder grinned and drew his face closer to her. Jiao let out a high pitched moan as she felt Ryder's tongue slip into her. Her hands dropped into his hair as he shifted closer. Jiao's hips bucked on the couch as Ryder's tongue moved, every wiggle and stroke eliciting another moan from her. Ryder continued for a few moments before replacing his tongue with two of his fingers while his lips closed around her sensitive bud.

"Oh fuck!" She cried out as her hips bucked again. Ryder continued to gently thrust his fingers into her as his lips and tongue went on. "Oh my god!" Jiao loudly moaned as she felt Ryder carefully add a third finger into her. He smirked softly against her as he pressed his teeth against her tender bundle of nerves. "Ryder," Jiao panted, her hips bucking against him as he drove her closer and closer to her peak. Her fingers twisted in his hair as her toes curled against the living room floor. Ryder kept his teeth against the bundle of nerves as his tongue lightly flicked at the tip, causing Jiao's body to tense as small breathless squeals flowed out of her lips. Within moments, Ryder felt Jiao's thigh muscles become taut as she climaxed. After a moment, he slowly removed his fingers and placed them on her thigh before glancing up at her. Jiao was leaned back against the couch, her head rolled back over the top with her eyes closed as she caught her breath.

"You okay?" Ryder asked.

"Uh huh," Jiao murmured. "Definitely….more than okay," she sighed.

"Glad to hear that." He chuckled as he kissed his way up her stomach. Jiao sighed happily, her hands moving down to Ryder's shoulders as he kissed her skin.

"What brought that on?" She asked.

"Just wanted to," Ryder murmured against her stomach as he continued to kiss her. He felt Jiao's stomach flutter as she chuckled.

"Wow..That's a first," she muttered. "I don't think I've ever had…that….without it being my birthday and someone asking 'are you finished yet?' every few minutes," she murmured.

"I aim to please." He grinned cheekily as he moved upwards and kissed her softly. Jiao moaned lightly and kissed him back.

"Thank you," she quietly murmured against his lips.

"Anytime." Came his soft reply. Ryder wrapped his arms around her as his lips moved down to her neck.

"You're gonna have to give me a few more minutes." Jiao commented softly. Ryder chuckled.

"Alright," he replied, giving her neck a gentle kiss before standing up. Jiao looked up at him quizzically as he left the room and walked into her bedroom.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"You'll see," Ryder called back. After a few moments she saw Ryder come back into the living room with the duvet cover from her bed. He laid the cover out on the living room floor. Once the cover was stretched out across the carpet, he sat down on the couch beside her.

"And the reason for that is….?" Jiao asked. Ryder chuckled and gave her a quick kiss.

"Well, not to diss your furniture, but this couch is kind of puny for living room sex," he teased. "I figured we might as well have a comfortable alternative."

"So you're proposing floor sex as an alternative?" She questioned. Ryder shrugged.

"I figure it still counts as living room sex," he replied. "Living room floor sex," he chuckled. "Besides," he added, kissing her again, "I thought we agreed I'd be on top for round three….floor sex just makes it easier," he grinned.

"Hmm." She commented as her eyes drifted shut. "You make a valid point." Ryder smiled.

"Glad you think so," he replied. Ryder took a couple of cushions off of the couch and tossed them on the duvet cover before wrapping his arms around her again. "So, ready to move off the couch?" He murmured against her forehead.

"Oh I guess." She replied dramatically. Ryder gently moved one of his arms under her knees and scooped her up in his arms as he stood up and moved the short distance from the couch to the duvet cover.

"I could have walked you know." Jiao giggled.

"I don't mind," Ryder grinned as she carefully kneeled down and placed her on the makeshift bed.

"Clearly." Came her reply. Ryder chuckled and pulled his boxers off before lying down next to her.

"How you doing?" He questioned as he ran his hand over her stomach. Jiao breathed a content sigh and smiled.

"Good," she replied. "Fully recuperated," she giggled.

"Excellent to hear." Ryder grinned as he moved over top of her. Jiao grinned back at him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she spread her legs under him. Ryder lowered himself on her and kissed her as his hips moved back and gently thrust into her.

"Oh god." She moaned as he filled her. Ryder remained still for a moment to let her walls re-accommodate to him before he moved his hips back and thrust into her again. Ryder ran his hands down her sides as he continued to thrust into her. Once his hands reached her legs he hitched them up over his hips, thrusting into her at a deeper angle. "Oh fuck." Jiao moaned loudly as her hands flew to his scalp. Ryder grunted as he thrust deeper into her, her walls clenching around him. Jiao's hips bucked up towards him, meeting his at each thrust.

"Shit…" Ryder groaned, his grip on her thighs tightening as his pace quickened.

"Do...Don't stop." She moaned as her back arched slightly.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Ryder grunted, his head falling into the crook of her neck as their hips continued to slam together.

"Good." She moaned out as her hands tangled themselves in his hair. "So goddamn good."

"Uh huh," Ryder moaned his agreement as he thrust upwards to hit the receptive spot inside of her.

"Oh god!" Jiao choked out as he hit the spot again. Her head dropped onto his shoulder as each bump against the spot drove her wild. "Oh god….." She whimpered. "Fuck…I'm gonna…" She trailed off into more moans as Ryder's pace quickened even more. Jiao panted against his shoulder as her fingers tightened around his hair. After a few moments, she cried out as her orgasm ripped through her. Ryder's arms gripped her tightly, pulling her closer as he continued to thrust into her deeply, feeling his own release quickly approaching. Within seconds he too climaxed, his hips weakly thrusting into hers a few more times before his body limply collapsed on top of her. Jiao moaned tiredly and gently nuzzled the side of his neck. "Wow…..That….that was intense," she panted.

"Agreed." He grunted against her neck. "But amazing."

"Yeah, definitely amazing," she breathlessly chuckled. Ryder grinned and carefully moved to lie beside her. Ryder sighed and laid his head on one of the cushions he had laid out.

"Only problem is I'm beginning to see what you meant about having to get up to get into bed," he chuckled. Jiao shook her head as her eyes drooped slightly.

"There is no way I'm getting up any time soon," she murmured. Ryder gave a tired grunt in agreement. He paused a moment as he looked to the unused edge of the duvet. He reached over and pulled the side of the cover over them, shifting closer to her as he made a sort of cocoon for them to sleep in. "Mmm, no cuddling, remember," she sleepily murmured.

"Well, it's either let me be a little closer to you, or we freeze." He yawned. Jiao groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I guess if it's for the sake of staying warm its okay," she relented. "But I better not feel your arms around me," she yawned.

"I'll do my best to keep them to myself." He murmured tiredly.

"Good," she replied as she turned on her side to sleep. She felt Ryder shuffle in behind her as the duvet draped over her naked body. He tucked the edge of the duvet under her to keep it in place around them. Jiao felt him moving slightly behind her as he struggled to get comfortable. After a moment he lay on his side and laid his arm across her waist. "Ryder," she warned.

"Sorry, it's the only comfortable position like this," he yawned. "Besides, my arm's just on you….not around you," he reasoned.

"If I feel it turn into something else..." She threatened.

"It won't," he promised, lightly kissing the back of her shoulder. "I wouldn't do something you're not okay with." Jiao bit her lip, a little surprised at how tender he sounded. She mentally shook it off and chalked it up to them both being tired.

"Alright then," she murmured as she settled under the duvet and closed her eyes. Ryder smiled softly as he watched her drift to sleep. He couldn't help chuckle slightly as he saw Tybalt trot into the living room from wherever he had been hiding for the last few hours and came to a stop at the other side of Jiao. He circled the spot for a few moments before settling down. Ryder closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.


	21. Superstar Problems

The following morning, Conner awoke to a sharp pain in his lower back. Groaning, he rolled slowly and opened his eyes. The first sight he saw was Kira looking at him with a small smile on her face.

"Hey," he groggily murmured.

"Hey," was her whispered reply, her thumb lightly rubbing the back of his hand. Conner scratched the side of his head with his free hand.

"How long have you been awake?" He asked. Kira gave a small one shouldered shrug.

"Twenty minutes, I think," she replied. Conner's brows furrowed.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" He asked. Kira's smile grew in warmth at that.

"You looked so peaceful. I figured I'd just watch you sleep for a little while," she replied.

"Oh." He replied as he gave her a soft smile. "Did you enjoy the view?" He asked. Kira nodded.

"Oh yeah," she quietly giggled.

"Glad to hear it." Conner chuckled. He shifted closer to her bed and lightly kissed her lips. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Sore." Came her soft reply. Conner gave her a sympathetic look and lightly stroked her cheek.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Rockstar," he tenderly murmured. "Is there anything I can do?" He asked.

"I paged the doctor." Kira replied. "I think she had me on pain meds in that IV." She pointed up to the empty bag. "But it's empty... Guess that's why I woke up." Conner looked past Kira to the IV stand and saw she was right.

"Okay," he replied. "Hopefully she gets here soon," he murmured, not liking the thought of Kira being in any pain.

"I hope so too." She smiled. "As long as they don't make me tired."

"Well, as long as it makes you feel better, it doesn't matter if you sleep some more," Conner commented. "Besides, you've had a rough couple of days. Maybe more sleep isn't a bad thing," he commented. Kira sighed.

"But I like being awake with you more," she lightly argued. "I know you do Rockstar." He replied tenderly. Kira sighed again and frowned. "What is it?" Conner asked, wondering if her pain had increased while she had been waiting.

"I'm just thinking about what the doctor said about my recovery," she murmured. "Just realized that…that kind of means we can't have our weekend alone for a while."

"Well... We'll just have to make up for it when it does come along then." Conner replied gently. Kira smiled.

"I can't wait," she replied.

"Me either." He commented softly as the door to Kira's recovery room opened and Dr. Burak wandered in.

"Good morning Kira, Mr. McKnight," she smiled as she walked in. "How is everything?" She asked.

"I'm sore." Kira replied honestly. "Other then that, I feel alright."

"Her IV bag is empty," Conner commented. The doctor approached the IV stand.

"So it is," she commented with a nod. "I'll have a nurse bring in a new one," she said, looking over at Kira and Conner.

"What kind of pain medication was it?" Kira questioned.

"Well, this bag was a low dosage of morphine to help you so soon after the surgery," the doctor replied. "But I'd like to put you on a milder medication now."

"Such as?" Conner jumped in and questioned.

"Paracetamol," the doctor replied.

"Which is?" Kira questioned softly.

"Just another name for acetaminophen," the doctor stated. "It'd be the equivalent of giving you three pills of Tylenol," she explained.

"Oh okay." Conner nodded in understanding.

"I'll go put the order in at the nurses' station. It should be here in about ten minutes," she replied. "Is there anything else you need?" She asked Kira.

"Actually, another blanket would be nice." Kira replied softly. "It'd kinda cold in here." The doctor smiled and nodded.

"Alright, I'll have one brought one in for you," she replied. "I'll also see about having some breakfast brought in," she stated, glancing at her watch. "An empty stomach won't help your recovery," she stated.

"Thanks." Kira smiled. The doctor nodded and left the room.

"I could have given you my blanket." Conner murmured softly.

"But then you'd be cold," Kira replied.

"That'd be okay, as long as you were warm." Came his gentle reply.

"Okay, I'll remember that for next time," Kira joked. Conner opened his mouth to reply when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Kira called out. The door opened and a nurse carrying an extra blanket walked in, followed by an orderly carrying a tray of food.

"Guess it pays to be famous." Conner teased her lightly. Kira giggled and lightly smacked his hand.

"Here you go, Miss Ford," the nurse smiled as she laid the blanket out over her.

"Thanks," Kira replied. The nurse stepped back and moved Kira's moveable bed tray closer to Kira as the orderly moved over to the bed. He set the food down.

"Let us know if you need anything else," the orderly commented as he and the nurse left the room.

"Gonna share?" Conner questioned cheekily as he moved off his cot and sat on the edge of her bed. Kira smiled.

"Oh, I guess," she replied as she scooped up some eggs on her fork and held it up to his mouth. Conner slowly took the food off her fork and chewed it for a moment.

"Note to self, make sure that the hotel we get... Has great room service with good food." He chuckled as he swallowed the food. Kira grinned.

"That sounds nice," she commented as she scooped up some eggs for herself.

"It'll be better once we can actually go." Conner murmured softly as he kissed her cheek. "It'd be nice to spend the weekend away with you."

"Mm, my thoughts exactly," she murmured as she popped a piece of bacon into her mouth.

"Glad to see we're on the same page." He chuckled.

"Ugh, you two are sickening," groaned a voice from the other side of the room. Conner and Kira looked over to see Trent sitting up in his cot, groggily rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry Trent." Kira giggled. Trent shook his head and chuckled as he stood up to stretch.

"How are you feeling" He questioned around a loud yawn.

"Kind of sore," Kira replied. "Waiting on an IV refill."

"That sucks." He empathized. "I see Conner's eating your breakfast... Yet again."

"She's sharing," Conner joking replied in his own defense. There was a light knock on the door as a nurse came in with an IV bag.

"I'm here to refill you." He commented as he moved towards her IV stand.

"Thanks," Kira commented as she sipped her juice. The nurse set the new bag on the table by Kira's bed as he worked on unhooking the empty bag. Once it was off the stand, he tucked it under his arm and went about connecting the fresh bag. As he finished hooking up the new bag he stepped back and glanced at Kira.

"Anything else I can get for you?" He questioned with an almost too-friendly smile.

"No, I'm alright, thank you," Kira replied.

"Alright, if you change your mind just let me know."

"Will do," Conner sharply stated, not pleased by the nurse's high interest in Kira. The nurse shot a glance at Conner, before turning back to Kira and giving her another friendly smile before departing. "Jackass," Conner muttered under his breath after the nurse had left.

"Conner." Kira chided.

"What? The guy was flirting with you as if he didn't see me sitting here with you," Conner grumbled.

"Hey." She stated as she turned slightly and stroked his face. "It's okay." Conner sighed and leaned into her touch as she soothed him. Trent looked on at the couple's affection and felt a pang of hurt in his own heart as it made him think of his wife and how much he missed her. He let out a breath and smoothed his hair of all its bed-head.

"Hey, I'm going to go get myself some breakfast," he announced, figuring it was a good enough cover since he was pretty hungry, "either of you guys need something from the outside world?" He asked.

"I'd love a coffee." Conner replied as Kira shook her head 'no' in response. Trent nodded.

"Alright," he replied. "I'll be back in a bit," he smiled as he left the room. Kira's hand slowly slipped away from Conner's face and into her lap.

"Maybe we should tone it back on the affection." She murmured softly.

"Why?" Conner asked. Kira gave Conner a look.

"You're not very observant, are you?" She asked. She shook her head. "Trent's obviously having a hard time seeing us together. It makes him think about Kendra."

"Oh..." He commented as it dawned on him. "I hadn't thought of that," he murmured, feeling guilty. Kira sighed and leaned against his side.

"Don't feel bad," she murmured. "I didn't pick up on it at first either," she replied. She sighed. "I wish there was something we could do to help him," she replied. Conner was quiet a moment before an idea struck him.

"Maybe once we're all back at the house we can ask if Jiao will do what she did when….we had to contact Kimberly," Conner slowly replied, his heart clenching a moment as he brought up the subject of Tommy's death. He cleared his throat and continued. "You know, give Trent a chance to see and talk to Kendra and Elise," he replied. "I know it's not the same as actually being with them…but it's better than nothing." Kira nodded.

"That's a great idea, Conner," she replied.

"Yeah." He replied as he slipped his arms around her. Kira picked up a strip of bacon and held it up to Conner's mouth. Conner smiled and opened his mouth to let her slip the bacon in.

"Thanks." He smiled at her softly, the smile not quite reaching his eyes as he kissed her forehead.

"You okay?" Kira asked softly as she took a sip of her orange juice.

"Yeah," Conner lied, resting his chin on the top of her head. Setting her juice down, she squeezed his hand gently.

"If you want to talk about it..." She trailed off. Conner said nothing in response as he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head and let his lips linger there for a few moments. "Conner?" Kira asked, beginning to get a little worried.

"I'm okay." He murmured, his tone bordering on sad. "If you're okay with it, I think I'm gonna grab some air." Kira frowned. She didn't like the idea of being left alone, but she could tell Conner needed a moment.

"Okay," she said, unable to keep the small amount of disappointment out of her tone. Conner sighed, hating the displeased sound in her voice. He gently turned her head towards his and gave her a tender kiss.

"On my way back, I'll stop by your other room and bring your flowers up here," he offered, hoping that would be enough to give her at least a small smile.

"I'd like that." She replied, giving him a soft smile. Conner gave her a half smile, happy to see that her spirits were lifted, even just a little.

"Good," he replied. "I love you," he stated as he stood up from the bed.

"I love you too Conner." Kira commented. Conner leaned over the bed and gave her a loving kiss on her forehead before standing up straight and making his way towards the door.

"I'll be back soon," he promised.

"Okay." She replied softly as he moved from the room and the door swung shut. Kira sighed and leaned back against her pillows as she ate the rest of her breakfast. Trent returned about twenty minutes later, holding two cups of coffee.

"Hey." He commented as he walked back towards her bed.

"Hey," Kira replied, a little disappointed to see it wasn't Conner who had returned. Trent set one of the cups on the table by Kira's bed and kept the other for himself.

"Everything okay?" He asked. She shrugged slightly as she downed the rest of her juice.

"Conner went out for some air a while ago, was just hoping he'd gotten back," she murmured.

"Oh," Trent replied. "Do you want me to go look for him?" He offered. Kira shook her head.

"No, that's okay," she said, not wanting to send Trent away and be alone again. "He'll come back when he's ready."

"Guess you're right." He nodded, giving her a smile as he sat down. The two were quiet for a few moments as Trent sipped his coffee. Kira looked over at Trent and sighed.

"I'm sorry," she replied. Trent gave her a quizzical look.

"For what?" He replied. Kira sighed again.

"For…Conner and me shoving us in your face," she replied. "I….I didn't even think about how you must be missing Kendra and Elise," she said. Trent sighed and reached over, lightly patting her hand.

"Don't apologize, Kir," he told her. "Besides, a while building fell on you recently, I think you've had bigger things to worry about than me missing my wife and daughter," he smiled.

"Trent... You're one of my best friends." She paused as the realization hit her that besides Conner, he was her only best friend left. "A building falling on me isn't an excuse."

"Well, I'm telling you, you don't need to apologize," Trent lightly insisted. "Sure, its hard being away from them right now….but then I remember that they're somewhere safe, and that's the most important thing."

"Okay." She murmured softly after a few minutes. Kira was quiet for a moment as she considered telling him about Conner's idea. She finally decided to tell him. "Conner had an idea that you might like," she commented.

"Oh?" Trent asked. Kira nodded.

"He was thinking maybe we could have Jiao hack into NASADA communications and contact Aquitar again…you know, so you can talk to Kendra…" She replied. Trent's eyebrows rose as he stared at Kira blankly for a few moments.

"…You guys would do that for me?" He quietly asked.

"Of course." Kira replied. Trent sat back in his chair as the idea of seeing his wife, even just through a computer monitor, seeped into his consciousness. He took a deep breath to settle down his excitement.

"Thank you," he spoke after a moment.

"You're welcome." She smiled softly. They fell back info a comfortable silence, chatting occasionally for almost another hour before the door to Kira's room swung open again. Kira's eyes darted towards the door, hoping to see Conner walk in. Instead, she saw the nurse who had replaced her IV bag.

"Hi." He smiled as he moved towards Kira's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Um, I'm alright," Kira replied, not understanding why the nurse was back, not to mention disappointed that Conner had yet to return.

"Oh? Just alright?" He sounded concerned. "Are you in pain?"

"No, the meds are working just fine, thank you," Kira replied. "I'm actually kind of tired," she lied, hoping that would be enough for the nurse to leave.

"That's to be expected." He commented as he checked her IV at an extremely slow pace.

"Yeah," Trent commented, getting that Kira wanted the nurse to leave. "Maybe you should take the tray of food away so she can get some sleep," he suggested.

"Oh I'm sorry." The nurse commented. "I guess you guys weren't told that visiting hours finished about twenty minutes ago."

"Dr. Burak told us we could stay as long as we wanted," Trent countered.

"Well that's funny." The nurse replied as he stepped away from Kira's bed. "Because Dr. Burak has no clout up here. She's a trauma doctor who belongs in the ER. The only reason why she was allowed in on the surgery, and has basically been allowed to go, do and obviously say whatever she wants, is because of who her patient is." He cast a glance at Kira. "No offence to you, but in the Recovery ward of this hospital, our team of doctors and nurses has spent years training to make sure that our patients can recovery quickly. And that means that strict rules have to be followed. This isn't the floor where rules are thrown out the window, or altered to suit each case."

"Dr. Burak assured me that she spoke to the staff and said it was okay," Kira insisted, not liking the nurse's tone or the fact that he was trying to kick Trent-and Conner, though he wasn't there at the moment-out. The nurse rolled his eyes.

"Like I said, Dr. Burak has no authority here," he stated in a clipped tone. Trent reached over and held Kira's hand to calm her down, noticing she was getting stressed.

"Fine then," he spoke to the nurse, forcing his tone to remain neutral and civil. "Would you please get whoever does have authority here so we can speak to him or her?" He asked.

"Gladly." The nurse replied snidely.

"Good," Trent replied. The nurse gave Trent a steely glare before leaving the room.

"God…Conner was right, that guy is a jackass," Kira murmured.

"Hey." Trent murmured catching her attention. "Just ignore him... He' obviously deranged." Kira sighed.

"I just hope he's not right. I don't want them to kick you guys out," she murmured.

"I doubt it'll happen." Trent replied, sounding confident. "Unless they plan on dragging Conner out of here kicking and screaming that is."

"He'd have to be here for that to happen," Kira muttered sadly.

"Did he give any inclination as to why he wanted air?" He questioned softly. Kira shook her head.

"No," she replied. She sighed and wearily rubbed her face. "I thought he'd just be gone for at most ten minutes…but it's been a half an hour already."

"Are you sure you don't want me to go look for him?" Trent asked. Kira shook her head.

"No, especially not with jackass nurse hanging around. If he's right…and I don't want you guys to get back here and not be allowed in," she said.

"If you change your mind..." Trent trailed off at he squeezed her hand softly.

"Thanks, Trent," Kira murmured.

"No thanks needed, Kir," Trent smiled. A few moments later there was a knock on the door before the nurse returned with a doctor.

"Hello, Miss Ford," the doctor spoke, "I'm Dr. Campbell, the head of the recovery ward. I understand you and your friend needed to see me?"

"Yes, we did." Trent commented as he stood up to shake the Doctor's hand. "I'm Trent Mercer."

"Pleasure to meet you," the doctor said as he shook Trent's hand. "Now then, what seems to be the problem?"

"Miss Ford's friend seems to think that just because of who she is, they have special privileges," the nurse spoke up, a slight sneer in his tone, as he crossed his arms over his chest. Dr. Campbell cast a glance at the nurse.

"Ah, I see," he replied. Trent glared at the nurse, fighting off the urge to just reach out and deck him. "And what special privileges would that be?" He asked.

"That they can completely circumvent the rules regarding visiting hours," the nurse supplied. The doctor nodded again before looking at Kira and Trent. "Well, Miss Ford, Mr. Mercer, I'm sorry to say that nurse Jenkins is right. A patient's fame or notoriety is not an exception to hospital rules," he said. The nurse smirked at Trent at that. Kira opened her mouth to object to this but the doctor held up a silencing hand. "However," he continued, looking back at the nurse. "Given that Miss Ford is one of the survivors of the mall explosion, and could therefore be dealing with a considerable amount of post-traumatic stress on top of recovery from her surgery, wouldn't you believe that it is our responsibility in the recovery unit to ensure our patient is kept in good spirits?" He asked.

"Of course." The nurse replied after a moment. "But isn't that what visiting hours would be for?" He stated. "If she's going to have a fast recovery then she needs to rest and recover."

"I was resting just fine with my friends here," Kira said, glaring at the nurse.

"Nurse Jenkins, I do appreciate your concern for our patient's well being. But I find it rather interesting that of all the staff in this ward, you seem to be the only one bothered by Miss Ford's extended visiting hours," he replied. The nurse simply shrugged.

"Guess I'm the only one who isn't more concerned with kissing the celebrity's ass," he replied.

"Nurse Jenkins," the doctor reprimanded. "Do we need to yet again go over what language is and isn't acceptable with our patients?" The nurse tightened his jaw at this.

"No, sir," he replied.

"Good," he said. "Now, as the head of this unit, I believe it is up to my discretion what privileges are allowed. And since I've decided to honor our patient's wishes, we will be dropping this matter. Is that understood?" He asked. The nurse narrowed his eyes and simply nodded.

"Yes, sir," he said.

"Good, you can go take care of the rest of your patients now," the doctor stated. "Oh, and since these privileges I'm allowing offend you so, perhaps it is best that you do not tend to Miss Ford anymore," though his words made it sound like a suggestion, his tone made it clear this was a strict order.

"Of course sir." He commented, his tone bordering on angry.

"Good," he replied. "On your way then," he said. The nurse rolled his eyes and left the room, slamming the door behind him as he departed.

"Sorry about that Ms. Ford." Dr. Campbell commented.

"Its okay," Kira replied. "And thank you," she said. Dr. Campbell nodded and smiled.

"You're welcome," he said. "I will have a new nurse assigned to your room shortly. If there are any other problems, please do not hesitate to have me paged," he stated.

"We will." Trent assured the doctor. The doctor gave them both a parting nod before leaving the room.

"Thank god." Kira commented as she sank back into her pillows. Trent sat back down next to Kira and patted her hand.

"How's the pain now?" He questioned after a few minutes.

"Better," Kira replied.

"That's good." Trent smiled. Kira nodded. She sighed and pulled her covers up to her chin. "Tired?" He asked.

"A little, yeah," she replied.

"Why don't you try and get some sleep, and I'll see if I can find Conner?" He offered.

"Okay," Kira yawned. Standing, Trent leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Sleep well."

"Mmhm," Kira murmured as her eyes drifted shut. Smiling softly, Trent quietly let himself out of her private room. Trent walked down the hall and towards the elevators, figuring he could start at where Conner had gone too last time—the maternity ward. His search of the floor proved to be pointless, as his friend was nowhere in sight. Frowning slightly, he began to think of where Conner could and would have disappeared off to. Trent moved back to the elevators and decided to check Kira's old room. Once again, he was met with disappointment. Sighing, he leaned against the wall in Kira's old room for a moment before an idea struck him. He moved back towards the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. As the doors opened on the ground floor, Trent exited the elevator and moved towards the outside doors, following the signs for the courtyard. He walked out into the courtyard and looked around. The area was filled with some hospital patients in wheelchairs having been taken out for some air by orderlies or family members, and a few staff eating their lunch at the picnic tables scattered about. Trent was just about to give up when he caught sight of Conner at the edge of the courtyard, staring out onto the duck pond that stretched out beyond the hospital's grounds. He walk over to where Conner was didn't take long, and Trent came to a stop next to his friend.

"Hey," Trent spoke.

"Hey." Conner replied quietly.

"What's up?" Trent asked.

"Same ole..." He trailed off. "I'm assuming Kira's looking for me if you're out here."

"She's sleeping now," Trent replied, "but she was pretty down that you hadn't come back yet."

"I just needed some air." Conner murmured in reply.

"For a whole hour?" Trent skeptically asked. Conner just shrugged as he slowly turned to face Trent.

"When you were gone... I had the idea that maybe we could get Jiao to work her computer magic to get you in contact with Kendra..." He trailed off. Trent nodded.

"Kira told me," he replied. "Thanks. Now, don't change the subject. Why are you really out here?" He probed.

"When I mentioned it, I stupidly thought back to the last time we had to get in contact with them..." Conner sighed as he ran his hands over his face. Trent sighed as he realized what Conner meant.

"Tommy…" He acknowledged.

"Yeah." He mumbled before sighing. "And then I just started thinking about Ethan…and everyone else we've lost these past few months." Trent placed his hand on Conner's shoulder in a comforting manner and squeezed lightly. "I keep thinking….all that time I spent hiding and dealing with all this on my own. And I wonder…do you think any of this could've been avoided if I didn't try to deal with this alone for so long?" Conner went on to say.

"Hey." Trent stated, drawing his friend's attention to him. "We don't know what would have happened... You don't need to beat yourself up over this." Conner simply sighed and continued to look out onto the pond.

"I... I just feel so guilty." Conner commented sadly.

"None of this is your fault," Trent insisted.

"It feels like it." Conner replied as he turned to glance at his friend, his eyes burning with tears. "I'm the one who sought this damned psycho out when I was in Boston and he's been following me ever since."

"Wait... What do you mean you sought it out?" Trent questioned, his brows furrowing in confusion. "I thought he was following you." Conner sighed as he scuffed his shoe against the dirt.

"There was a lot of weird stuff going down when I was in my final year, stuff that just didn't sit right with me as a former ranger… So I decided to investigate and poke around where I didn't really belong." He stated. "I kept getting these phone calls after I started probing around the city for clues, but the person always hung up… Until one night." Conner took in a deep breath, trying to keep himself from rushing through the story that he had only told Ethan about. "The night before my last final, I woke up in the middle of the night because it sounded like there was someone in my apartment… Turns out this psycho had broken in." He paused for another moment. "He attacked me and I managed to fight him off long enough to get the hell out of my apartment and take off for a while… I stayed with a friend who lived far enough out of town that I knew this weirdo wouldn't follow me." Slowly, Conner crossed his arms over his chest. "I came back a few days later and my apartment was trashed… I packed up what I was able to salvage and got the hell out." He closed his eyes and sighed sadly. "It was too late… Apparently, the fact that I fought back provoked this bastard and gave him some sort of tip off that I was a former ranger." Trent stared at Conner with wide eyes. "I brought this on all of us," Conner murmured brokenly. "It's my fault Ethan, Emily, Ryan, Tommy, The Parks, Justin….all of them; their deaths are on my hands."

"No they're not," Trent spoke, gripping Conner's shoulder. "You had no way of knowing this would happen. You were doing that you felt was right, as a former ranger. I honestly can't say any one of us rangers, former or current, wouldn't' have done the same thing."

"I guess." Conner shrugged in response. "Doesn't really help with the guilt though."

"You did the right thing," Trent insisted. "And, honestly, we don't know that all this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't investigated, or 'provoked' this guy as you say you did. This guy and whoever his master is….they wanted anyone who could stop them out of the picture. And that was anyone connected to the morphing grid. Former rangers. Even if you had stayed out of things and remained blissfully unaware of everything, people still would've died. It's only because of you and Ethan preparing….getting ready, that we were able to move quickly and get everyone else out of harms way. And more importantly, it's only because of you that we have the means to fight this evil now."

"You're right." Conner nodded solemnly.

"Of course I'm right," Trent smiled, hoping to lift his friend's spirits.

"Smartass." Conner chuckled. Trent chuckled.

"Will you come back up to Kira's room now? I think she'd be a lot happier to see you there when she wakes up," Trent commented.

"Yeah." He nodded after a moment. "Can you do me a favor though?" He questioned.

"Sure, what?" Trent asked.

"Don't tell Kira about the Boston thing." Conner stated. Trent took a deep breath and nodded.

"Absolutely, man," he promised. "It stays between us."

"Thanks Trent." Conner breathed out. "It's not that I like keeping it a secret from her..."

"It's okay," Trent said with an understanding nod. "You'll tell her if and when you're ready."

"Thanks man." Conner smiled. Trent shrugged.

"Hey, its what I'm here for," he smiled.

"True." Conner chuckled. "Come on, let's go." Trent nodded and the two made their way back into the hospital. It didn't take long for them to wander back up to the recovery ward and back into Kira's room. Conner resumed his previous spot at Kira's bedside and sat on the edge of his cot.

"Your coffee's probably cold by now," Trent commented. "I can run down and get you another, if you want," he offered.

"Would you?" Conner asked. Trent nodded.

"Sure," he replied. "I'll be right back," he said before leaving the room. Slowly, Conner rested his forehead on Kira's bed as he slipped his hand into hers and squeezed it softly.

"Conner?" He heard Kira groggily murmur. Conner lifted his head to see her turning her head towards him, her eyes still closed as she was half asleep.

"I'm here," he lovingly murmured, lightly kissing her hand.

"Where were you?" She questioned sleepily.

"In the courtyard," he honestly replied. "I just needed to clear my head for a while."

"I missed you," she murmured. Conner lightly squeezed her hand and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'm sorry," he replied.

"Are you okay now?" Kira asked as she slowly opened her eyes.

"I think so, a little at least," he honestly stated. He placed his free hand on her forehead and gently ran his thumb along her skin. "Go back to sleep," he encouraged.

"But you're here now... I wanna spend time with you." She commented around a loud yawn.

"I'm not going anywhere," Conner smiled. "You need your sleep, to recuperate."

"Okay." She murmured before drifting back to sleep. Conner leaned over her and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. Trent returned a few moments later with two coffees.

"Hey." He commented.

"Hey," Conner replied. Trent walked over and handed him one of the cups of coffee before moving over to the other side of Kira's bed and sitting down on his cot.

"How's she doing?" He asked as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Okay, I think," Conner replied. "She woke up for a bit after you left, but I managed to convince her to get some more sleep."

"Probably a good idea." Trent agreed. Conner nodded and took a sip of his coffee. The two rangers sat in silence, trading comments and light conversation over the next three hours before the door to Kira's recovery room opened. Both men looked up to see Dr. Burak enter the room.

"Hi." She smiled as she moved towards Kira's bed. Conner and Trent each gave her a nod in greeting. "We're getting ready to move her back to her old room," Dr. Burak commented as she picked up Kira's chart and glanced at it.

"Should we wake her up?" Conner questioned. Dr. Burak considered that for a moment before nodding.

"I guess it couldn't hurt. We wouldn't want her to have a scare when she wakes up and is surprised to she she's 'magically' changed rooms," she kidded.

"Good idea." Conner chuckled. Dr. Burak smiled and nodded.

"I'll be back with her transport in about twenty minutes," she said before setting Kira's chart down and leaving the room.

"Thanks." Trent smiled. Conner shifted closer to Kira's bed and lightly stroked Kira's forehead.

"Kira?" He spoke, "It's time to wake up, Rockstar."

"Hmm?" She murmured sleepily.

"They're getting ready to move you back to your old room," Conner replied. "Its time to rise and shine," he smiled.

"Sleepy." Kira replied.

"You can go back to sleep when we get to the other room," Conner stated.

"Mmmkay." She sighed as she slowly opened her eyes. Conner smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Hey there," he tenderly spoke.

"Hi." Came her groggy response. "What time is it?"

"Around 2," Conner replied. "Why, got a hot date to get to?" He teased.

"Maybe." She giggled. "Know anyone who's looking?"

"Gosh, no I don't think so," Conner replied.

"Sad." Kira laughed as she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. Kira sighed and sleepily rubbed her eyes.

"Hey." Trent smiled. "How do you feel now?"

"Better," Kira replied.

"That's good to hear." Conner smiled. "Less pain?" Kira nodded.

"Yeah," she replied. "Now just mostly feeling tired," she replied.

"I blame the pain meds." Kira commented as she stretched. Conner reached behind her and lightly rubbed her back.

"Hey, that just means they're working," he commented.

"I know." She nodded. "I just hate feeling groggy."

"But at least you don't feel sore," Trent smiled, trying to put it all in perspective.

"Good point," Kira chuckled. There was a knock on the door before Dr. Burak moved back into the room.

"Hello Kira," the doctor smiled as she walked in with a nurse. "We're going to disconnect the heart monitor and IV to move you," she replied. Conner caught the hint and moved off the cot to give the doctor and nurse room to work.

"Are we done with them?" Kira asked, her tone bordering on excitement.

"With the oxygen and the heart monitor, yes," the doctor replied as she pulled the oxygen tubing off of Kira. "But we're going to re-hook the IV downstairs," she replied.

"More pain meds?" She asked, her excitement gone.

"Just for a little while longer," Dr. Burak replied. "We don't want you in any pain."

"You're right." Kira nodded after a moment. The doctor and the nurse finished disconnecting the equipment as a couple of orderlies entered the room.

"The two of you can head down to the room now, if you'd like," Dr. Burak commented as the orderlies prepared to move Kira.

"Sure." Trent replied as he stood and Conner did the same. "We'll see you guys in a bit then."

"See ya," Kira commented. She laid down and held her teddy bear as the orderlies raised the sidebars on her bed.

"Cute bear." The younger female nurse smiled as Trent reached around and grabbed the flowers that Conner had brought up.

"Thanks," Kira smiled, sending Conner a wink before he left. The ride down for all parties was quiet, but quick. Pretty soon the orderlies were moving the bed into Kira's former room. Once her bed was in place, a nurse came in and hooked up the IV.

"I'll be back around dinner time to see how you're doing." Dr. Burak commented as she made some notes on Kira's file. "As long as we don't have any complications, I'm thinking you might be able to be discharged tonight."

"Really?" Kira asked, her tone excited again. Dr. Burak nodded.

"I don't see why not, as long as you're careful and adhere to what is most conducive to your recovery," she replied.

"That sounds suspiciously like bed rest," Kira commented. Dr. Burak chuckled and nodded.

"Only for a few days, while your body goes through the initial stages of recovery and you get your strength back. And after that, as long as you're careful, I don't see why you can't move around as much as you like." Kira's lips broke into a large smile.

"That's awesome." She giggled happily. Dr. Burak smiled before saying a quick goodbye and leaving the room.

"I get to go home." Kira commented excitedly, the smile still plastered across her face. A few moments later Trent and Conner walked into the room to find her smile still there.

"Someone's happy," Trent commented as he set the flowers down by her bed.

"Yes I am." She giggled happily.

"Any particular reason?" Conner asked as he sat down by her bed.

"Dr. Burak said that if everything checks out around dinner, she'll release me." Kira replied happily. Conner smiled.

"Well, that's certainly good news," Conner commented.

"Very good news!" Came her excited remark. Conner chuckled and lightly kissed her cheek. "I can't wait to get the hell out of this place and never come back." She smiled. Conner laughed.

"Honey, it's a hospital. There might be a chance that some day you'll have to be back," he teased, his mind wandering to a possible future for them that could lead them to the maternity ward.

"Not anytime soon though I hope." She replied with a shudder. Conner simply rubbed her back and kissed her cheek again. The trio chatted idly for the next few hours, at times, sharing memories from years gone by, and at others, discussing strategy for attack and protection, should the green ranger reappear. Kira drifted in and out of sleep during the conversations, which allowed Conner and Trent to discuss how they would work around her recovery should the green ranger force them out of their hiding.

"You know Kira's not going to be down with having to sit out if we have to go fight this guy," Trent commented in a low tone, making sure not to wake Kira. "I mean it'll be like Jiao's this while time since the green ranger attacked her and we've had her in the basement working on the computer….times like, a hundred." Conner sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I mean at least with Jiao, there was some type of work to distract her with," Conner muttered his agreement.

"Maybe Kira can be our eye in the sky." Trent shrugged. "She's good with a computer and I'm sure Jiao would probably teach her a few things..."

"I guess it couldn't hurt," Conner replied. "Kira might still not like sitting on the sidelines, but I'm sure she'll be glad to at least still be able to help."

"It's better than nothing." His friend nodded. "And while we're getting all that figured out, we need to make sure that the house is fully secure..." Trent trailed off. Conner nodded.

"Absolutely. That's priority number one. The last thing we need is to worry that when we're out there fighting those things in white, greenie manages to get into the house and catch Kira on her own," Conner urgently muttered.

"God knows that's the last thing we need." Trent agreed. Conner sighed and lightly ran the back of his fingers along Kira's cheek as she peacefully slept.

"I don't know what I'd do if anything worse happened to her," Conner murmured, half to himself.

"You can't think like that Conner." Trent reasoned. "Firstly, you'll drive yourself mad with what-if scenarios, and secondly you'll always worry and second-guess each decision you make that could have an impact on her." Conner sighed and looked at Trent.

"I can't help it," he replied. "I love her." Trent nodded.

"I understand that," Trent said, "Believe me, I do. But, and I say this as a guy who feels the same way you do, not just towards his wife but also towards his child, you can't do that to yourself. Or to her."

"You're right." He agreed after a moment. They slipped back into a comfortable silence for a brief time before they began to discuss more trivial matters, getting away from the heavy conversation they had previously. "So, I'm thinking maybe once we get Kira out of here, we can pick up some chow on the way back to the house," Conner commented. Trent nodded.

"Sounds good to me," he replied. "We could hit up the diner that's on the way home, pick up some to-go burgers or something," Trent suggested.

"Sounds delicious." Kira murmured as she slowly opened her eyes. Conner chuckled, he and Trent both surprised to hear her awake.

"Hey there, sleeping beauty," Conner smiled.

"Hey." She commented tiredly around a yawn. Carefully, she snuggled herself closer to Conner. Conner kissed the side of her head and wrapped his arms around her.

"Did you have a good sleep?" He asked.

"Mmmhmm." She replied as she reached down and pulled the blankets up closer. "Till I got cold."

"Aw," Conner sympathetically murmured. "Do you want us to have a nurse bring in another blanket?" He asked. Kira shook her head.

"Nah, you can keep me warm," she replied. Conner grinned and held her closer to him.

"I guess I could do that," he commented.

"Good." She smiled. "So, did I miss anything important while I was asleep?" She curiously questioned.

"Nope." Trent replied as he shook his head.

"Oh, okay," Kira replied. The group returned to talking idly amongst themselves for nearly an hour before there was a knock at the door. "Come in," Kira called out. The door opened to reveal Dr. Burak.

"Hello, Kira," she smiled as she walked into the room. "How are you doing?" She asked.

"Good." She smiled.

"Well that's good to hear," Dr. Burak replied. She moved closer to Kira's bed and picked up her chart. "I just want to run a few checks, if you don't mind, and we can then see if we can finally get rid of you," she kidded.

"Checks?" Kira carefully asked. Dr. Burak waved a dismissive hand.

"Nothing big or too time consuming. I just want to check your blood pressure, and check on your incision site, just to make sure there isn't any redness or any other cause to worry about infection," she assured her.

"Oh okay." Kira nodded. "Easy stuff."

"Exactly," Dr. Burak smiled. She gave Conner a look implying she needed him to move. Conner wordlessly nodded and gave Kira a quick kiss on the top of her head before he moved off of the bed and stepped side to give the doctor room to work. She pulled back the covers on Kira's bed and slowly raised the dress to check the incision site. Trent quietly excused himself from the room to give Kira some privacy while the doctor checked her out. "Well, there's no redness, which is good." Dr. Burak commented as she lightly touched Kira's stomach. Kira winced slightly, her muscles feeling a little tender. "Sorry," Dr. Burak apologized, catching a glimpse of Kira's look. "That tenderness should go away in a couple of days," she stated. After a few moments she brought Kira's gown back down and stood up to pull the pressure meter closer to the bed. She wrapped it around Kira's arm and began to pump. "I'm going to be prescribing an antibiotic and some pain medication for you," Dr. Burak commented as she watched the pressure gage. "The antibiotic's just one a day for a week. And the pain medication is just for if you're feeling a large amount of pain during your recovery, though I wouldn't take more than three a day," she stated.

"What are the side effects of this pain medication?" Kira questioned.

"As long as you follow the dosage on the bottle, the side effects should be about the same as you've been feeling on the Paracetamol," Dr. Burak replied as she slowly allowed the cuff on Kira's arm to release.

"So just some tiredness then?" Kira questioned. Dr. Burak nodded.

"Pretty much," she replied as she took the cuff off of Kira and marked her blood pressure in Kira's chart. "You don't need to take it every day, like the antibiotic. Just save it for if and when you feel like you really need it. As for regular mild to moderate pain, I'd say you'd be alright with any over the counter pain reliever."

"We've got plenty of that kicking around." Conner chuckled.

"Alright then," Dr. Burak smiled. "Well, Kira, everything is looking just as good as it should be, meaning you will be free to go."

"Thank god," Kira sighed. "No offense, but it'd be nice not to be stuck here another night." Dr. Burak chuckled and nodded.

"No offense taken," she replied. "Well, I'm going to go have your discharge papers drawn up. I'll be back with them, as well as your prescriptions, in about twenty minutes."

"Thanks so much." Conner chimed in, sticking his hand out to the doctor. Dr. Burak nodded and shook his hand.

"You're welcome," she replied. Giving them both one last smile, she excused herself from the room. A moment later Trent walked back in.

"All good?" He asked.

"Yup," Kira smiled.

"Excellent," Trent chuckled.

"Do you want to get dressed?" Conner questioned. "That way we're all ready to go when she comes back with your papers." Kira nodded.

"Sounds good to me," she replied.

"Well then, I guess that's my cue to leave again," Trent joked. "I'll run on down and get the car ready," he said.

"Thanks, Trent," Kira smiled. Trent nodded as he moved over to pick up Kira's flowers.

"Not a problem. Might as well take these down with me," he replied before leaving the room. Conner gathered Kira's discarded clothes from where they had been left on the window sill and brought them to Kira's bed.

"Would you mind helping me?" Kira asked as she carefully sat up. Conner smiled.

"I think I can mange that," he replied.

"You sound just a little too excited about that." She teased.

"Do I?" Conner innocently replied. "Can't imagine why that would be," he teased.

"Perv." She accused, her tone bordering on aumsement. Conner chuckled and gently cupped her face in his hands.

"I can't help it if the love of my life has an absolutely gorgeous body, nor can I help it if getting to see that body is a good thing in my book," he teased as he pressed a tender kiss to her lips. Kira smiled as he kissed her.

"You suck." She commented after a moment, thinking harder about his comment. "Makes me wish that I was 100% now so that you could tell me a little more about this gorgeous body." Conner chuckled and lightly kissed the tip of her nose.

"Well, that just means that when you are 100%, what comes after that will be even better," he replied.

"I sure hope so." Kira giggled. Conner grinned and gave her one more kiss before pulling his hands off of her face.

"Alright then, let's get you changed so I can take you home," he lovingly commented.

"That sounds like a good idea." She commented softly as a blush spread across her cheeks. Conner chuckled and gently grabbed the hem of her hospital gown to help her pull it off. He placed it at the end of the bed, while Kira quickly secured her bra and waited for him to help with her shirt. Conner picked her shirt up and held it in bunched up in front of her to allow Kira to put her arms through the sleeves. Once her arms were in, Conner helped her put the shirt on over her head. Kira smoothed the shirt down while Conner picked up her panties. He bent down and slipped it over her feet and ankles before pulling it up to just under her knees.

"Can you stand on your own, or do you need to lean on me?" He asked.

"I'll try." She offered as she slowly pushed herself to the edge of the bed. As she bent forward to stand, she hissed in pain.

"Okay, that's not a good sound," Conner commented, afraid she was putting too much pressure on her recovering muscles.

"No... No it wasn't." She agreed as her put her hand to her stomach. "It was painful." Conner gently settled her back onto the bed and picked up her jeans.

"Alright, might as well do your pants at the same time and kill two birds with one stone, or lift, to be more accurate," he commented with a warm smile.

"Okay," Kira replied. Conner bunched the pants up and slipped them over her feet and ankles as he had done with her underwear. Once he had the jeans up to where he had left her panties, he hooked his thumbs over the undergarment to hold onto it along with her jeans.

"Okay, put your arms around my neck," he instructed.

"Alright." Kira obliged as her arms slipped around his neck. Once Conner was sure Kira had a good hold on him, he moved to stand up straight, slightly lifting Kira up off the bed. He felt a slight strain on his neck due to it being the only thing holding Kira's weight up but he didn't care. Once Kira was up off the bed enough, Conner pulled her pants and underwear up the rest of the way and bent down to set her back on the mattress. Kira groaned as he set her back down, her barely used muscles aching in protest.

"Are you okay?" Conner worriedly asked, afraid he had hurt her.

"Yeah, I'm good." She nodded. "Apparently it's been a while since my muscles have been used."

"Oh," Conner replied, a little relieved she wasn't in a serious amount of pain. "Lie back," he gently instructed. Kira leaned back in her bed, resting her head against her pillow as she watched Conner gently adjust the waist of her pants before zipping up the fly and buttoning them close. Kira sighed.

"I'm going to try my hardest to get used to this," she commented.

"Used to what?" Conner asked as he helped her sit up.

"This," she stated, "the whole needing to mostly rely on you to get dressed." She sighed again. "I'm going to try and ignore the part of me that feels like some helpless baby….and just say….its romantic or something like that."

"Well, it is romantic." He grinned cheekily as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Kira let out one more small sigh and leaned against him.

"I'm going to keep telling myself that," she replied. Conner wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"It's just for a little while," he assured her.

"I know." Came her reply.

"Before you know it, everything will be fine and the only involvement I will have with your clothes is when I'm taking them off of you," he grinned. Kira groaned.

"Tease," she replied.

"Yet you love me." He chuckled.

"Unfortunately," she teased, lifting her head up to kiss the side of his mouth. Conner chuckled and tilted his head down to kiss her fully on the lips. Halfway through the kiss there was a knock on the door. Conner broke the kiss as the door opened and Dr. Burak walked back in. She smiled at the couple as she approached the bed, a small stack of papers and two prescription slips in her hands.

"So it looks like we're all set and ready to go." She commented as she handed Conner the two prescription slips. "You can have those filled at the pharmacy downstairs on your way out. I called and gave them a heads up, so there shouldn't be much of a wait."

"Thank you," Conner replied as he put the slips in his pocket.

"Anytime." Dr. Burak smiled. "Although to be honest, I really hope I don't have to see you back in here anytime soon Kira."

"The feeling's mutual, doctor," Kira replied with a nod.

"Glad to hear it." The older woman laughed. "Now, I just need you to sign some papers," she commented as she handed Kira some forms and a pen.

"I think I can do that." Kira replied as she began to sign and date the forms. Within a few minutes Kira had gone through all the forms and handed them back to Dr. Burak.

"Great, I'll have an orderly bring a wheelchair in here," Dr. Burak commented as she gathered the papers and made her way towards the door.

"Thanks." Conner called as she exited the room. He gave Kira a smile as they waited.

"We're almost out of here," he teased. Kira giggled.

"I know," she replied.

"I can't wait to get you home." He murmured softly. Kira sighed contently and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh yeah?" She murmured in reply.

"Well, it's where you belong." Conner smiled as he rubbed her back. Kira smiled widely at that.

"Is it?" She teased.

"Uh huh." He replied.

"And once you get me back home, where I belong, what do you plan on doing?" Kira teased.

"Besides treating you like a goddess?" Conner grinned.

"Ooh, I like the sound of that," Kira replied.

"Good." He chuckled. "You should." Conner kissed the side of her forehead and continued to rub her back. "So, once we get downstairs, I'm thinking I'll get you in the car and you and Trent wait for a bit while I come back in here and get your prescriptions filled. Sound okay?" He asked.

"I guess that works," Kira replied.

"You don't sound too thrilled about that." Conner commented. Kira shrugged.

"What's wrong?" He questioned. Kira shook her head.

"Nothing really," she replied. She shrugged again. "I guess I'm just starting to feel the fact that I haven't eaten anything since breakfast and its making me a little moody or whatever," she chuckled in reply.

"Well, we'll get you a huge meal when we stop then, sound good?" He questioned. "Don't need my gorgeous Rockstar going hungry." Kira smiled.

"Sounds good to me," she replied. A moment later there was a knock on the door before an orderly walked in pushing a wheelchair. Carefully, Conner removed his arms from around Kira as he, and the orderly helped her off the bed and into the chair. Once Kira was in the chair, Conner picked up Kira's teddy bear from the bed and handed to her before the orderly wheeled her out of the room. The ride down to the main floor of the hospital was fairly quiet. Soon the orderly wheeled Kira out of the door, where Trent was waiting with the car at the curb. As he saw them approach, Trent climbed out of the car and moved around to the passenger side door and opened it. Conner had the orderly move the chair as close to the car as it would go before picking Kira up and gently easing her into the passenger seat, Kira let out a soft sigh as he gently placed her on the seat.

"Be back soon." Conner promised softly.

"Okay," Kira replied. Standing and closing her door. Conner explained his plan to Trent.

"I'm just going to run back inside and get Kira's prescriptions filled," he commented. Trent nodded as he moved over to the driver's side door.

"Alright, man, we'll be here," he replied as he climbed back into the car.

"Be back in a bit." Conner commented before heading into the hospital again. Kira watched him leave before leaning back in her seat and slowly buckling her seat belt.

"Still sore?" Trent asked as he rebuckled his seatbelt.

"A little, yeah," Kira replied.

"Well, once we get food and get home you'll be able to rest and relax." He replied.

"Sounds good to me," Kira nodded. They waited nearly fifteen minutes before Conner walked back out of the hospital, a white paper bag in hand. He walked over to the car and climbed into the backseat.

"All good?" Trent asked as he prepared to pull away from the hospital.

"Yup, we're all set." He nodded as he tossed the bag beside him and buckled up.

"Cool," Trent replied before driving out of the parking lot and making his way towards the diner.

"Do you know what you guys want?" He questioned as they rolled into the parking lot of the diner.

"I'm good with whatever." Kira mumbled as she shifted in her seat and groaned softly. "Maybe burgers and fries?" Trent nodded.

"How about you, Con?" He asked his friend.

"I could go for a Philly cheese stake and fries," Conner replied. Trent nodded again.

"Well, why don't you guys wait here," Trent comment as he pulled into an empty parking spot, "and I'll run in and get the grub since I'm still thinking what I want," he chuckled. Conner nodded.

"Thanks, man," he replied.

"Anytime." Trent commented with a wave of his hand. He shut the engine off and climbed out of the car before jogging towards the diner. Kira let out a soft noise that was part groan and part sigh. Conner leaned forward in his seat and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want one of your pain pills?" He asked.

"Yeah, that'd be good." She murmured as she closed her eyes.

"Okay," he replied. She heard the bag crinkling behind her for a few moments as he dug through it for the right pill bottle. After a few moments, Kira saw Conner lean forward and bring both hands by her. One hand held a pill, while the other had a bottle of water. "I grabbed this from one of the vending machines on the way out," he commented, "just in case you got thirsty or wanted to take one of your pills on the way home." Kira smiled, touched by his thoughtfulness.

"Thanks, Conner," she murmured as she took the pill from his hand and popped it in her mouth before taking the bottle of water. She twisted the lid off and took a large sip of water before recapping it. She rested her head against her seat and sighed. She felt Conner lightly stroke her cheek.

"That should kick in soon," Conner commented, hoping her pain would cease before long.

"I hope so." Kira murmured in reply. Conner continued to stroke her cheek. "I just hope I can eat before I get too tired," she replied.

"Well, if you get tired halfway though it, we'll just put the left over away and you can finish it when you wake up," Conner smiled.

"Ah yes, Conner McKnight... The eternal food optimist." Kira chuckled for a moment before she winced. "Ow... Apparently that hurts a little." Conner gave her a sympathetic frown and kissed the side of her neck.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have made you laugh."

"Don't be sorry." Came her reply as she tilted her head and glanced at him. Conner gave her a playful shrug.

"Can't help it," he smiled. Kira gave him a soft smile.

"I love you," she murmured.

"Love you too." Conner replied softly. He leaned forward and lightly kissed her lips. He pulled away slowly after a moment and stroked her cheek gently again. A few moments later they saw Trent heading back towards the car with a large brown bag. He opened the backdoor and set the bag down on the floor before shutting it and climbing into the front.

"That was an expensive trip." He chuckled.

"It's worth it though," Conner commented with a chuckle. "I'd come here with Ethan, Emily and Ryan at least once a week. The food's awesome."

"I'll take your word for it." Trent chuckled as he put the car into drive and pulled away. The rest of the ride home was pretty quiet as Trent focused on the road, Kira tried to ignore the smell of the food making her even hungrier as well as waiting for her pain pill to kick in, and Conner sat right behind her gently stroking the side of her face as he hoped she'd start feeling better soon. Trent carefully rolled the car to a stop in the driveway before turning it off. "I'll get the food," Trent offered, knowing Conner wanted to be in charge of helping Kira out of the car.

"Thanks man." Conner smiled as he climbed out and moved to the passenger side door. Kira unbuckled her seat belt as Conner opened her door. Carefully, he slipped one arm under her knees and the other wrapped securely around her shoulders as he effortlessly lifted her up and then carefully out of the car. Kira clutched her bear to her stomach with one arm, careful not to drop it, while the other went around his neck.

"You're really fond of that bear." Conner murmured softly as he walked up the driveway carefully. Kira smiled and laid her head in the crook of his neck.

"It's cute, plus I'm pretty fond of the guy who gave it to me," she murmured against his skin.

"From what I hear, he's a pretty awesome guy." Conner chuckled. Kira giggled.

"He's alright," she teased as Conner stepped onto the porch.

"Just alright?" He replied, sounding slightly miffed. Kira giggled again and lightly kissed his neck.

"Okay, he's pretty fantastic," she playfully relented.

"Glad to hear it." Conner grinned as he moved into the house. "Do you want to eat down here, or up in bed?" He asked as he carefully kicked the front door closed once they were inside.

"Down here." Kira commented. "I figure once I eat, I can always stretch along the couch if we started a movie or something."

"Okay," Conner replied as he carried her towards the living room. Bending slightly at the knees, he lowered her gently to the couch. Once she was on the couch, Conner gave her a light kiss on the lips before standing up. "I'm going to run back to the car to get your flowers and your meds," he stated.

"Okay," Kira said as she reclined against the couch's armrest. "Hurry back," she softly requested.

"Will do." He flashed her a soft smile before heading back out the door. A moment after Conner left, Trent walked into the kitchen with Kira's food on a plate.

"Here you go," he commented as he set the plate on the end table right beside her so she wouldn't have to reach too far for her food.

"Thanks Trent." She smiled as he moved to the chair beside her and flicked on the television. He gave her a casual grin and waved his hand at her as he flicked over to the movie channels and waited for Conner to return. Conner walked back into the house with the flower vase in his hands and the white paper bag tucked under his arm.

"Any good movies on?" He asked as he kicked off his shoes and set the vase down on the end table beside the couch.

"Lord of the Rings." Trent shrugged as he tucked into his food. Conner grabbed his food from the kitchen and moved back into the living room. He took a seat next to Kira on the couch. Carefully, Kira adjusted herself so that her legs were straightened out and she was leaning against Conner. Conner smiled and lightly kissed her forehead before beginning to eat his meal. Reaching over slightly, Kira grabbed her plate and slowly began to eat her meal as well. The three friends quietly enjoyed their food as they watched the movie on the television. About halfway through her meal, Kira felt her eyes grow heavy as the pill began to kick in fully. Carefully, she set her plate back on the table.

"You okay?" Conner asked.

"Tired," Kira murmured. Conner set his plate down and gently rubbed her back.

"Do you want me to take you upstairs?" He asked.

"No." She replied as she snuggled closer to him. "You're very comfortable." Conner chuckled.

"If you say so," he replied, kissing her forehead. "Let me know if you change your mind," he said as he kept one arm around her and continued eating with his free hand.

"Mmmhmm." Kira sighed as she drifted to sleep. Conner let her sleep as he and Trent finished eating and watched the rest of the movie, the volume lowered to not disturb Kira. An hour later the movie ended and both Trent and Conner were feeling ready to go to sleep as well.

"I'll clean up in here, you go on and take care of Kira," Trent offered as he gathered up the used dishes.

"It feels like you're always cleaning up after us." Conner commented. Trent shrugged.

"I don't mind," he replied. "Besides, I think if I offered to carry Kira upstairs, you'd be tempted to slug me," he joked.

"You're probably right." Conner laughed. Trent chuckled.

"See? At least in cleaning up I feel useful," he joked.

"Thanks man." Conner commented as he carefully picked Kira up. Kira moaned softly as Conner moved her.

"Mmm, what's going on?" She sleepily murmured, her head resting against her shoulder.

"Just taking you to bed, Rockstar," Conner softly murmured as he slowly made his way up the stairs.

"Okay." Came her soft reply. "Did you grab my bear?"

"No, but I'll go back down for it in a little bit," he smiled.

"Mmkay." Kira mumbled. Conner finally reached the top of the stairs and walked down the hall to his room.

"Any preferences regarding pajamas?" He asked as he carried her over to the bed.

"Comfortable." Came her sleepy retort. Conner chuckled at her succinct reply.

"Oh, so you want to sleep naked then?" Conner commented cheekily as he lowered her onto the bed. Kira's eyes shot opened and fixed him with an unreadable look.

"Only if you're naked too." She replied. Conner chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose.

"I don't know, Rockstar, I think we'll be too tempted," he commented.

"How unfair." She muttered in reply. "Your clothes then... They're well worn, comfortable and smell like you." Conner smiled and stroked her cheek.

"Alright then," he replied. He moved over to his dresser and grabbed one of his t-shirts. He strolled back to their bed and carefully helped her remove her pants. Once he maneuvered the pants down to her calves, he gently lifted one of her feet to pull it off the rest of the way before setting her foot back down on the bed and repeating the process with her other leg. Tossing them to the floor, he moved upwards and carefully pulled her shirt up. Kira tiredly lifted her arms up to allow him to pull her shirt off the rest of the way. He set the shirt aside and gently pulled his hands behind her back to unhook her bra. Once that had been set aside as well, he carefully bunched up the shirt and slipped it over her head. Kira slipped her arms through the sleeves and let Conner pull the shirt down the whole way. Conner then pulled back the covers and helped Kira get into bed. Once Kira was lying down, he gently tucked her in and stroked her forehead. "I'm going to run down and get your bear, okay?" He softly commented.

"Sure." She nodded. Conner smiled and left the room. He headed back down to the living room and picked up Kira's teddy bear as well as the small paper bag. Before heading back up, Conner stepped into the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water. He headed back upstairs and set the water bottles and bag of pills on the nightstand by his bed before gently setting the bear next to Kira.

"You're back." She commented softly.

"Yup," Conner smiled.

"Good," Kira murmured as she held the bear closer to herself. "Get into bed." Conner chuckled.

"Will do, just need to change first," he replied.

"Ugh, hurry up." She whined. Conner chuckled and quickly pulled his shirt off.

"Whatever you say, Rockstar," he replied.

"Damn right." Kira giggled before wincing. "Ow, again."

"I'll be right there," Conner commented as he took his jeans off. He pulled his socks off and moved back to the bed. He pulled back the covers and climbed in beside her, shutting the lamp by his bed off before shifting closer to her and gently wrapping his arms around her. "Better?" He murmured against her forehead.

"Uh huh." Came her reply.

"Good," he smiled, tenderly rubbing her back.

"Where'd you put my bear?" She questioned as she adjusted his arm carefully and draped it across her chest.

"Its right here," he replied, reaching around to the other side of her to pick up the bear. He brought it closer to her so she could hold it in her arms if she wanted.

"Perfect." Kira smiled as she took the bear and tucked it under her arm. Conner chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"Good night, Rockstar," he lovingly murmured.

"Night Jock." She replied softly. Conner continued rubbing her back as he heard her breathing even out as she drifted back to sleep a few moments later.


	22. Taking it Easy

The following morning, Kira groaned slightly as she opened her eyes, the warm morning sunlight filling the room. Rolling her head, she frowned when she realized that Conner was not in the bed with her. She slowly and carefully pushed herself up into a sitting position against the headboard as she looked around the room.

"Conner?" She called out. There was silence and she frowned before throwing the covers back and shuffling over to the side of the bed. Carefully she stood up, trying not to aggravate her incision sites. Once she was up, she placed her hands against the wall to not put too much pressure on her muscles as she slowly shuffled towards the bedroom door.

"Conner?" She called out again.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be in bed?" She heard a voice ask. She looked down the hall to see Trent walking out of the bathroom.

"I can walk around a bit." She commented as she shuffled out of the bedroom. "Have you seen Conner?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think he's downstairs in the kitchen," he replied.

"What? Why?" Kira asked, confused.

"Well, I saw him pulling out the carton of eggs before I headed back up here….so, my best guess? Building a rocket ship," he joked.

"Smartass." She shot, flipping him the bird. Trent chuckled.

"Perhaps," he shrugged.

"Kira?" Conner called as he moved to the base of the stairs. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"Looking for you," she replied.

"I'm right here." He grinned.

"Yeah, well you're supposed to be in there with me," she commented, jutting her thumb back towards the bedroom.

"Well, I decided to make you some breakfast." Conner smiled. "Now get your cute butt back in bed."

"Oh," Kira breathed, not expecting him to respond with that, "well…hurry up," she commented before making her way back into the bedroom.

"Yes m'lady." He chuckled. Trent laughed at the couple's antics and shook his head.

"I'm surrounded by crazy people," he muttered.

"I'm not crazy!" Conner defended.

"That's just what a crazy person would say!" Trent called back before heading towards his room. Kira rolled her eyes as she shuffled back to Conner's bedroom. She carefully made her way back to the bed and crawled back into bed to wait for Conner. As she waited, Kira opened up the white bag on the nightstand and found the bottle of her antibiotics, figuring she might as well take the daily pill now. She popped the pill bottle open and shook one out. After closing the bottle and setting it back down, she swallowed the pill down with one of the bottles of water Conner had brought up the night before. She stacked the pillows carefully and snuggled back into them after a moment and sighed contently. She picked her teddy bear up from where she had left it on the side of the bed and absentmindedly picked up a piece of nonexistent link from the head as she continued to wait. Thankfully, her wait was not a long one. A few moments later, Conner moved back into the room carrying a tray.

"Well it's about time," Kira playfully complained.

"Sorry gorgeous." Conner chuckled as he set the tray down on the bed. "Wanted to make sure the food was perfect." Kira giggled.

"Well then, I guess you're forgiven," she teased.

"Thank you." He grinned as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore," she replied. Conner gave her a sympathetic frown and tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Did you take a pill?" He asked.

"I took the antibiotic," she replied, "I don't want to take the pain pill right now….don't feel like being all sleepy at the moment. Plus, the doctor did say to save it for when the pain's really bad."

"Do you want me to grab you some Ibuprofen or something?" He asked.

"If you wouldn't mind." She smiled softly.

"You know I wouldn't," Conner smiled, giving her another kiss. "Start eating your breakfast, I'll be right back," he commented as he made his way out of the room.

"Yes mom." Kira teased. Conner chuckled and shook his head before disappearing out the door. Kira carefully pulled the tray closer to herself and picked up the fork Conner had brought up with the food. She smiled softly as she noticed the beautifully cooked Western omelet, with bacon on the side, and a small side plate of pancakes. She cut a piece of the omelet with her fork and ate it. She had just finished swallowing when Conner walked back in with a bottle of ibuprofen. "You know," she commented, "I have a sneaking suspicion that you're trying to fatten me up," she teased.

"Never." Conner replied with fake innocence. Kira rolled her eyes.

"If you make me have to buy all new clothes in a bigger size, I will strangle you," she warned. Conner chuckled and kissed her cheek as he worked on getting the bottle of ibuprophen open.

"You wouldn't kill me," he confidently replied.

"Wanna bet?" She commented, raising her eyebrow. Conner simply chuckled as he shook two pills out and held them out to her.

"You love me too much to kill me," he replied.

"Oh I guess." She giggled. She took the pills from him and popped them in her mouth, taking another gulp of water to wash them down. Conner set the bottle beside the other pill bottles on the nightstand and moved around to the other side of the bed to sit next to Kira.

"Did you eat already?" Kira asked as she popped a piece of bacon into her mouth.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" She pouted. Conner chuckled.

"I'm sorry, Rockstar," he sincerely apologized with a smile, "I was hungry, and I didn't want to wake you up. I figured you need your rest while you're recovering."

"It's okay." She replied, continuing to pout.

"We'll eat lunch together later," Conner pointed out.

"We'd better." Kira replied shooting him a glance. Conner smiled and gave her a light kiss on the lips.

"So I was thinking, maybe when you're done your breakfast we could watch a movie together."

"Sounds good," Kira nodded as she popped a piece of pancake into her mouth.

"Good." He smiled as he kissed her cheek. Kira giggled lightly and continued to eat her breakfast. Once she had finished, she pushed the tray away carefully.

"Ugh, I can't eat another bite," she murmured, rubbing her full belly.

"Glad you left me some then." Conner chuckled as he made a move to grab her pancakes.

"I thought you already ate," Kira replied as she took a sip of her water. Conner shrugged.

"It wasn't much," he replied.

"You could have had some." She commented, rolling her eyes. "All you had to do was ask.

"I wanted to make sure you ate enough," Conner justified with a shrug.

"You need to eat too Conner." Kira sighed as she leaned against him. "It's sweet that you're taking care of me, but you also need to take care of yourself too." Conner ate a piece of leftover bacon and nodded.

"Alright, I'm sorry," he replied.

"Thank you." She smiled. Conner smiled and gave her a light kiss, causing Kira to giggle.

"You taste all bacon-y," she commented.

"You like it." He chuckled. Kira giggled again and simply laid her head on his shoulder to let him eat. It only took a few more moments for Conner to finish the meal. "Ready to go downstairs?" Conner questioned as he moved the tray away.

"Uh huh," Kira replied. Conner nodded and got up from the bed, moving over to her side to scoop her up in his arms. She let out a content sigh as she dropped her head into the crook of Conner's neck. Conner smiled and kissed the top of her head as he carefully carried her out of the room. He carefully navigated the stairs with Kira in his arms. After a few moments he reached the bottom of the stairs and carried her over to the living room couch. He set her down gently and smiled.

"So what do you want to watch?" He questioned. Kira shrugged.

"Whatever you want to watch is fine with me," she commented as she stretched out on the couch. Grinning, Conner moved over to the shelf and grabbed a DVD.

"How about Die Hard?" He asked, holding the DVD case up for her to see.

"Sure." She shrugged as she reached for one of the throw pillows and tucked it behind her head. Conner went about putting the DVD in the player and picked up the remote to switch the television's mode to the correct setting. Once he had finished that, he turned and moved towards the couch. He chuckled at Kira's position on the couch, completely stretched out leaving no room on either end for anyone to join her.

"Where am I supposed to sit?" He teased. Kira giggled and gave him a shrug.

"The chair?" She asked. Conner shook his head and walked closer to the couch until he was standing over her.

"That's too far from a certain couch hogging person," he replied. Kira grinned.

"Oh, well I guess I could give you some room," she dramatically replied.

"Don't strain yourself." He teased as she sat up slowly. Kira stuck her tongue out at him as she sat up enough for Conner. Conner sat down on the couch cushion closest to the armrest. Once he was comfortable, Kira laid back down, her head going against the armrest as her shoulders and most of her torso lay on Conner's lap.

"I don't think I need to feed you anymore." He teased, poking her arm slightly. Kira turned slightly to stare up at him.

"Are you calling me fat, Conner McKnight?" She asked. There was a warning edge to her tone.

"I'm teasing babe." He replied softly.

"What did I say about calling me babe?" She asked. Conner chuckled and leaned closer to give her a tender kiss.

"My mistake, Rockstar," he amended.

"Much better," Kira grinned against his lips.

"But to answer your question," he commented as he pulled away, "I would never call you fat." Kira smiled.

"Good," she replied. Conner smiled and gently stroked her hair with one hand while the other hit play on the remote. Kira sighed contently as Conner continued to play with her hair. A part of her felt like she could make a comment that she felt like some dog or other type of animal being petted, but a another part-a larger part—was too busy feeling warm at his tender touch. Conner smiled at Kira's obvious pleasure and continued stroking her hair as the movie started. He only stopped about twenty minutes later when his hand grew tired. "Why'd you stop?" She whined after a few moments.

"Sorry, Rockstar," he replied. "My hand got tired."

"Oh... Okay." Kira replied as she snuggled against him.

"I'll do it again in a little while, if you want," he offered, rubbing her back with his other hand.

"It's okay." Came her reply.

"Okay," he replied, and with that the two continued watching the movie in silence. A short while later, Conner felt Kira shiver against him. "Cold?" He asked softly.

"A little," she replied. Conner nodded and turned his head to the small throw blanket that Emily used to always keep hanging over the back of the couch. It was mostly for aesthetic purposes but it provided some warmth when needed. He reached over and pulled the blanket off the back and brought it down over Kira, leaning over to make sure the blanket covered her whole leg and didn't just bunch at her waist. Once the blanket completely covered her lower half, he adjusted it up by her shoulders.

"Better?" He asked.

"Much." She sighed contently as she glanced up at him and gave him a smile. Conner smiled and ducked down to give her a quick kiss.

"Good," he replied. Once the movie finished, Kira giggled softly as she heard Conner's stomach growl loudly.

"Hungry?" She teased. Conner chuckled sheepishly.

"Sounds like it," he replied. "How about you, think you're ready for some lunch?" He inquired.

"Sure... What'cha making me, Mr. Chef?" Kira grinned. Conner chuckled.

"Whatever you want," he lovingly replied.

"Not helpful." Kira replied, poking him in the stomach. Conner laughed.

"Okay….well, I could make us a couple of sandwiches," he began, giving her some possibilities, "there's soup….I think there's a frozen pizza in the fridge, I could have that ready for us in about twenty minutes…." He paused as he tried to think of what else might be around the house.

"Mmm, pizza sounds delicious." Kira replied. "Got any beer to go with it?"

"I don't know if you can drink alcohol with your meds," he honestly replied. "Especially if you plan on taking one of the pain pills the doctor prescribed later today."

"I hadn't really planned on taking a pain pill." Kira replied.

"Ah," Conner replied. "Well, what about the antibiotic?" He asked. Kira sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Would it make you feel better if I called Dr. Burak and asked her if I can drink while on the antibiotic?" She asked, figuring assuaging his fears would be better than arguing over the matter.

"It's up to you." Conner shrugged.

"I'll call her," Kira replied, deciding to just deal with the situation. "Can you get me my cell phone?" She asked.

"Sure, be right back." He kissed her cheek softly. Kira slowly sat up to let Conner get up. He pushed himself off the couched and departed the living room, moving back up the stairs for their bedroom. Once he was there he found Kira's phone on the dresser and moved to the nightstand to pull Dr. Burak's number from where he had left it in the drawer. Once he had it, he shut the drawer and headed back downstairs. He found Kira snuggled up on the couch with the blanket up to her chin. He crouched down in front of her. "Here's your phone and Dr. Burak's number. Do you want me to get the pizza started while you call?" He asked.

"Sure." Kira nodded as she took the phone and card from him.

"Alright," Conner replied, kissing her forehead as he stood up. She waited till Conner had rounded the corner into the kitchen before she sighed, rolled her eyes and dialed the doctor's number. The phone rang a few times before she heard the line pick up.

"Dr. Burak," she heard the doctor greet.

"Hey Dr. Burak... It's Kira Ford calling." She stated. "How are you?"

"I'm alright, Kira, how are you? Any problems?" She asked, concerned that Kira was calling a day after being released.

"I'm alright." Kira replied. "No problems... More of a question."

"Oh?" Dr. Burak replied.

"Yeah," Kira replied. "I was wondering…is it alright to drink alcohol while on the antibiotic?" She asked.

"_Just _the antibiotic?" She asked. "Sure, as long as you haven't taken the pain medication I gave you."

"I haven't, just had some ibuprophen when I woke up this morning," Kira replied. The doctor made a soft 'mmhm' noise. "So, it's okay? Conner was worried," she said. Dr. Burak gave a soft chuckle.

"A few drinks would be fine. I wouldn't recommend excessive drinking, since you're still on the mend, but a few drinks would be alright I suppose."

"Fantastic." Kira smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem," Dr. Burak replied. "Was there anything else you needed to ask?"

"Nothing I can think of," Kira replied.

"Alright then," Dr. Burak replied. "Don't hesitate to call if you need anything Kira." She smiled. "Have a good day."

"You too," Kira replied as they ended their call.

"Verdict?" Conner commented as he moved back into the living room.

"Doctor said as long as I haven't taken one of the pain meds she prescribed, I can have a few drinks," Kira replied.

"Oh." Conner commented and then smiled. "Good thing you didn't take them then."

"Uh huh," Kira smiled.

"The pizza's in the oven, want me to grab a couple of beers while we wait?" Conner asked.

"That'd be good." Kira smiled contently. Conner nodded and headed back to the kitchen. Tossing her cell phone onto the table, Kira leaned back against the armrest of the couch and closed her eyes. A moment later Conner walked back into the living room with a bottle of beer in each hand.

"I'm back." He commented as he knelt down next to her. "And I have beer."

"Yay," Kira grinned as she sat up.

"You're way too excited for beer." Conner chuckled as he moved back into the spot where he had been sitting previously. Kira giggled and took one of the bottles from him as she shrugged.

"Its decent beer," she replied.

"There's such thing as not decent beer?" Conner questioned. Kira shrugged again.

"I'm sure somewhere in a world there exists a not so decent beer," she replied.

"I doubt that." He laughed. "Why would anyone want to make or drink non-decent beer?"

"Well, maybe the makers made it with the intention of making a decent beer….but something went wrong….and as for who would drink it….losers with no taste?" She reasoned. 

"Obviously." Conner chuckled. Kira giggled and laid her head on his shoulder as she took a sip of beer. Smiling, Conner wrapped his free arm around her shoulders while he sipped his beer.

"How much longer until the pizza's ready?" She asked.

"Probably about 10ish minutes." He replied. "Do you want to watch another movie?"

"Sure," Kira smiled.

"Why don't you pick it out this time, and I'll go get the plates and stuff ready?" Conner offered.

"Okay," Kira replied. She looked over at the bookcase from her spot on the couch, getting an idea of what movies there were to choose from. She giggled slightly as she pulled a Disney movie from the shelf. Opening it, she grabbed the disk and quickly put it into the drive before hiding the case back on the shelf.

"Did you pick something?" Conner called from the kitchen.

"Yup!" She replied as she shuffled back to the couch.

"Great, what'd you pick?" Conner asked.

"It's a surprise." Came her reply. "Is the food ready yet?"

"Almost," Conner replied. "Letting the pizza cool off for a minute or so."

"Alright, I'll watch the previews then." She commented as they began to play.

"Okay," Conner replied. A few moments later, just as the last preview rolled across the screen, Conner moved back into the living room holding two plates. He set the plates on the coffee table.

"I'm going to bring the pizza out here," he commented before going back to the kitchen. A moment later he came back holding a pizza pan with the help of potholders. Once he returned to the coffee table he set one of the potholders down and put the pizza pan on top of it to not burn the table.

"Smells delicious." Kira smiled. Conner smiled back at her and pulled two slices of pizza out of the pie and set one on each of the plates he brought back.

"Your lunch, m'lady," Conner grinned as he handed Kira her plate.

"Thank you kind sir." Kira giggled as she took the plate from him. Conner grinned as he picked up his own plate. Smiling, Kira grabbed the remote and hit play before tucking it beside her.

"So, what are we watching?" Conner asked as he took a bite of his pizza.

"It's a surprise." She smiled, fighting back a giggle. Conner gave her an odd look as he chewed his bite and took a sip of beer.

"You picked a Harry Potter movie, didn't you?" He questioned around a mouthful of food. "You know how much I hate those movies Kir." Kira let out a tiny giggle and shook her head.

"No, it's not Harry Potter," she promised.

"Thank god." He breathed out as the Disney logo rolled across the screen. "Disney? Really?" Kira merely shrugged innocently and took a bite of her pizza. Conner groaned loudly as the opening scene began to play. "You're so incredibly luck that you just had surgery Kira... Otherwise I'd have to tickle you to death for torturing me with Enchanted." Kira let loose her giggles.

"Even if I was 100 percent, you wouldn't tickle me, you love me too much," she confidently replied. Conner glanced at her.

"That sounds like a bet." He commented. Kira grinned.

"What, you saying you're going to tickle me when I'm all better?" She asked.

"Possibly," he replied. Kira giggled and shook her head.

"No you won't," she replied.

"Oh?" Conner challenged. Kira's grin widened as she shook her head.

"You'll be too busy doing other things," she teased.

"I can take breaks you know." He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"Well what about me? Do I get breaks too?" Kira questioned.

"I suppose," Conner teased.

"Dork." She giggled as she bit off a piece of her pizza.

"Perhaps, but you love this dork," Conner grinned.

"That's true... I do." She smiled softly. Conner smiled and kissed her cheek. Kira finished her remaining slice of pizza before setting her plate on the table.

"Want another slice?" Conner asked.

"I'm full." She replied as she rested her head against Conner's arm.

"Okay," Conner replied, balancing his plate on his lap to rub her back with his free hand. "I'll put the leftovers in the fridge for later, if you want," he commented.

"You don't have to do it right now." Kira murmured as she left her eyes close. "Finish your lunch first."

"Alright," Conner replied, kissing her forehead. Conner finished his slice a few moments later, and helped himself to a couple more before he too set his plate aside.

"Ah that was good." He commented as he smacked his stomach. Kira giggled and rubbed his stomach.

"Is Mr. Jock full?" She asked with a slight coo in her voice.

"Very." He chuckled. "Gotta start working on my Buddha belly." Kira continued to giggle at that.

"And why do you have to start working on it?" She questioned.

"Well, I don't want to give you false hope that I'll have this gorgeous physique forever doll." He grinned. "So I figure I might as well start packing it on now." Kira gave him a playful pout.

"Well, don't I feel disillusioned," she joked.

"You'll get used to it eventually." Conner laughed. Kira heaved a heavy sigh.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to enjoy this physique of yours while I can," she commented as her hand slipped under his shirt and gently rubbed his stomach. Grinning, Conner's eyes slipped shut slightly.

"Well... Maybe I can keep it for a bit longer." He commented. Kira giggled and nuzzled the side of his neck as she continued to lightly rub his stomach.

"Sounds like a good plan," she softly commented.

"A very good one." He agreed softly. Kira lightly kissed his neck as her hand slipped lower on his stomach.

"Kira..." He trailed off huskily.

"Yes, Conner?" Kira murmured against his neck.

"Your hand." He murmured as the body part in question dipped lower.

"What about my hand?" She cheekily asked as her hand dipped below his waistband.

"We can't." He commented around a cross between a moan and a groan.

"I can't," Kira corrected. She kissed up his neck and lightly bit his ear lobe. "But there's no reason why you have to suffer too," she commented around a small giggle.

"I meant down here." He gasped as she bit his ear lobe.

"Oh," Kira replied, realizing he had a point. Trent could come down at any moment and that was something none of the three of them needed. She sighed and slipped her hand back up his stomach. "I'll behave then," she commented. Conner sighed as he dropped his head backwards, willing away the reaction that he knew was occurring in his body. "Sorry," Kira said, feeling bad for riling him up.

"S'ok." He murmured. Kira pulled her hand out from under his shirt and placed it on his chest. "Maybe later?" She commented, glancing up at him. Conner chuckled.

"If you insist," he grinned.

"Well, I think you'd enjoy it." She purred. Conner chuckled and dropped a kiss on her forehead. The two watched the remainder of the movie in relative silence.

Jiao moaned softly as sleep slowly left her. She blinked a few times as she awoke, and was momentarily surprised to see she was on her living room floor, and staring at her cat's sleeping form right by her face. It took a moment for her head to clear and for her to remember what had transpired the night before. It also helped to explain why she felt a weight across her waist. Jiao carefully turned her head over her shoulder and saw Ryder still sleeping peacefully behind her, his arm thrown over her. Jiao smiled softly as she remembered everything, namely everything she had felt, in their additional "rounds". She had definitely never been that sexually stimulated, not by Byron, her ex-boyfriend, or the few casual one night stands she had after she and Byron broke up.

Jiao's heart did an involuntary clench as her mind went to Byron. He had been the love of her life, literally. They knew each other since early childhood, given that his father and her mother opened their medical practice together. The Huang and Pak families were close not only due to the practice but due to being the only Asian-American families in the country club-Jiao's family being first and second generation Chinese-American, and Byron's a mixture of first and second generation Korean-American where his parents were concerned, and he himself straddling the line between second and third generation. Jiao had no interest in befriending her vapid peers when she was younger, which pretty much helped her and Byron develop a closeness. By the time they had reached seventh grade, this closeness began to develop beyond friendship. By high school, their parents were practically giddy over their children coming together….while Jiao's paternal grandparents were hardly hiding their contempt over their granddaughter's choice in boyfriend.

Jiao loved Byron more than anything. He could do no wrong as far as she could tell. He was smart, ambitious, and put up with her sarcastic wit and dry sense of humor. Sure, he would at times make jokes at her expense, especially regarding her chest size, and their sex life tended to verge more towards his satisfaction more than hers, but it didn't matter, she loved him. This complete blind love is what led to Jiao's heartbreak when he found out he had cheated on her the summer after their sophomore year in college, when she spent the summer in China. It was on her birthday when she found out that Byron had had a few secret trysts with one of the swim instructors at the country club. Byron swore he was driven to temptation from missing her too much and promised it would never happen again. And Jiao believed him, unfortunately.

Jiao didn't know that for Byron, getting caught only made him become more secretive as he continued to see the blonde swim instructor. With Jiao being none the wiser, Byron kept up his romance with the girl while phoning it in with Jiao, and claiming he was doing work for his internship whenever he "couldn't" see her. This went on for a year and a half, before apparently Byron's "other girlfriend" grew tired of being secretive and forced him to choose….and he chose the blonde swim instructor, over the girl who had loved him for nearly ten years. It was a marvel Jiao managed to get through the rest of her senior year amidst her despair.

Ryder's assumption of her past had been somewhat correct. Though Jiao had always been a little too opinionated, and at times downright mean to some people, she had at least given people a chance before incurring her ire and contempt. Now, it just seemed easier to pull 'giving people a chance' out of the equation.

Jiao was startled out of her thoughts when she felt Tybalt press his nose against her cheek, his whiskers tickling her face. She looked at the cat, which was standing by her shoulder peering at her, as if to say 'yeah, that was me, I want you to get up'.

"Is someone hungry?" She murmured, slowly bringing one of her hands out from under the cocoon and lightly petting Tybalt. He purred and nuzzled his head into her hand. "Alright, I get the hint," she softly chuckled. Ever so slowly, Jiao peeled Ryder's arm off of her and set it at his side. She opened their cocoon and crawled out of it, putting the duvet cover back in place for Ryder before getting up and putting her clothes back on. Once she was dressed, Tybalt scampered after her into the kitchen to be fed. It didn't take long for Jiao to get his food together and placed into his bowl. Jiao moved out of the kitchen and stopped right at the edge of the living room, watching Ryder as he continued to sleep. She couldn't help stare at him, smiling to herself as she took him in. He was on his side, his back facing her. His long hair cascaded loosely down to his shoulders, which were left bare by the cocoon only starting at the side of his arms. She stayed in her reverie for a few more moments before her cell phone began to go off in her room. "Shit," she murmured to herself, afraid of being caught by Ryder. Ryder simply groaned sleepily and turned on his back, throwing his arm over his face as he continued to slumber. Jiao jogged to her room to cease the ringing. She scooped the phone up from her nightstand and quickly answered it. "What?"

"Well, aren't you chipper," she heard Hayden reply around a chuckle. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"What do you want, Hayden?" She sighed.

"Just calling to check on you, also to tell you I got a call from Trent," he explained.

"Oookay…?" Jiao replied, not understanding why that mattered.

"He told me Kira had surgery last night," Hayden commented. Jiao paused, surprised.

"Are you serious? Is she okay?" Jiao asked, worried. She had actually grown to somewhat like Kira, she didn't want to hear something bad had happened.

"She had some internal bruising after the mall-splosion," he replied. "Apparently one of the bruises ruptured and led to some bleeding. Trent said she was still sleeping when he called, but he'd call with more of an update later today."

"Oh," Jiao replied.

"Yeah. I tried calling Ryder, but it went straight to voicemail, I guess his phone's off," Hayden commented.

"Weird." She replied. She cast a look out of her bedroom to see Ryder still asleep on her floor. "Um….well…I was just about to eat breakfast," she lied, eager to get off the phone. "So….thanks for passing on the news, I guess I'll talk to you later or whatever."

"Yeah sure." Hayden replied in an upbeat tone. "I'll let you know when I find out more."

"Uh huh, bye," Jiao replied before ending the call and setting her phone back down. She slowly walked back to her living room, back to Ryder. Her smile returned as she watched his chest rise and fall. Seeing him on his back gave Jiao an idea that bordered towards wicked. With a small grin, Jiao carefully walked closer to the cocoon and carefully pulled the cover back to reveal the rest of Ryder. Slowly, so as not to wake him, she straddled over him, careful not to put too much of her weight on his stomach. She leaned over and lightly kissed the side of his neck. Ryder simply sighed in his sleep in response. Jiao bit back a giggle and carefully moved down his body, lightly kissing his chest. As Ryder continued to slumber along, Jiao kissed down his chest, her body moving where the duvet covered everything below his waist. She peppered his stomach with kisses before moving even lower. He shifted slightly, his stomach muscles contracting as she dragged her fingers along his stomach as well. She grinned widely as she reached below his waist, her intended destination.

A few moments later, Ryder's eyes slowly fluttered open, awaken by a pleasant sensation that seemed to be specifically centered near his hips. He used his hand that had been draped next to his head to rub his eyes clear from sleep. He was ready to dismiss the pleasant sensation as part of an erotic dream, when he felt something warm and wet envelope his erection. His eyes shot open and he pulled his head off the pillow slightly. He looked down to see his waist and legs were covered by the duvet, but he could see, and feel, a mass on his legs, and some movement under the blanket between his legs as the warm wet feeling was accompanied by a small amount of suction. Ryder groaned, his hips instinctively bucking against the feeling. It didn't take much for Ryder to realize the wondrous things going on under the blanket were Jiao's doing. Ryder tossed his head back on the pillow as Jiao's mouth continued working under the blanket. He groaned loudly as he felt Jiao flick her tongue against his tip as she continued.

"Jiao…" Ryder moaned, his hand drifting under the duvet cover and burying in her hair. He nearly groaned in disappointment as he felt Jiao take her mouth off of him as she giggled softly.

"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to wake you," she softly joked.

"Uh huh, likely story." He murmured huskily. Jiao continued to giggle and lightly dragged her nails along his upper thighs.

"You know, you're a heavy sleeper," she idly commented, "I kept expecting you to wake up while I was getting down here," she chuckled.

"Sorry to disappoint." He chuckled. Jiao simply continued to chuckle and moved her hand up his thigh before wrapping it around his stiff appendage. "Oh fuck." Ryder breathed as his head dropped backwards onto the pillow. Jiao moved her hand along his length a few times before slipping her lips around him once again. He moaned loudly at the dual sensation. Jiao continued her actions, increasing the suction of her lips as she went on. Ryder's hands slipped downwards, entangling themselves in Jiao's messy hair. Jiao flicked her tongue against his tip, causing Ryder to moan and buck his hips against her. "Fuck!" Ryder loudly moaned as he felt Jiao's teeth lightly scrape against him. Jiao quickened her pace as she continued to occasionally use her teeth and tongue, to Ryder's continued delight. After a few minutes, his muscles clenched and his fingerers tightened in her hair as she brought him closer and closer to his release. "Jiao..." He choked out as her hand dripped between his legs. She pulled her mouth off of him, her hands taking over as she shifted to lie next to him on the duvet cover. Ryder's arm slipped around her shoulders, his head dropping into the crook of her neck. Jiao smiled, her hands continuing to drive him mad. Ryder's hips thrust along with each move of her hands, his free hand slipping under her shirt and cupping her breast. Jiao sighed contently as she felt Ryder's thumb shakily move against her nipple. After a few more strokes from her hands, Ryder tightened his grip on her and loudly moaned against her shoulder as he climaxed. It took a few moments before his grip loosened and he sank back into the pillow. Jiao grinned and lightly kissed the side of his forehead.

"Good morning," she playfully commented.

"I'll say." He chuckled wearily. He slowly turned his head to look at her as he caught his breath. "Although, it could be better," he said. Jiao's grin quickly faded and was replaced by a frown.

"Oh?" She asked. Ryder nodded and gave her a lazy grin.

"Yeah," he replied as he pulled her closer against his side. "You're wearing clothes," he lowly stated, his breath hitting her ear.

"Sorry." She giggled, giving him a quick kiss. "Needed to feed the cat and I figured I should get dressed."

"Well, you could take them off now," Ryder continued to grin. Jiao chuckled and looked down at the hand Ryder still had under her shirt.

"Do I really need to though? I mean, its not like clothes are stopping you, now are they?" She teased.

"Well... It could progress things a little quicker." He chuckled. Jiao giggled and lightly caressed his stomach.

"Is that your way of saying you plan on us spending another day alternating between naughty things and sleeping?" She teased.

"Of course not," Ryder replied. "I mean, we'd have to fit eating and other types of breaks in there somewhere," he grinned. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"You are such a horndog," she teased.

"Can't help it." He teased right back. He held her closer to his side and gently rubbed her back. "It's not my fault I can't seem to get enough of you," he murmured. Jiao's heart did an involuntary flutter at that.

"Well." She blushed. "I guess I could take my clothes off then..." Ryder grinned and released her enough to allow her to undress. Jiao rolled her eyes. "You're way too eager," she teased. She shifted on the duvet to pull her pants off. Once they were down past her knees, she kicked them off before sitting up to pull her shirt off. After she pulled the shirt off, she tossed it aside and slowly turned back towards Ryder, grinning slightly as she slowly straddled his waist. Ryder's grin widened as he looked up at her. "I do recall us saying that if we had a fourth round, I'd be on top," Jiao teased, her hands moving down his chest.

"Indeed we did." He murmured as she slowly lowered herself onto his hardening appendage. Jiao bit her lip, moaning softly as she slid all the way down until her thighs met his. She paused a moment, her body needing to stretch around him once again, before balancing herself with her hands on his chest and slowly beginning to move on his lap. Ryder moaned, his hands moving behind her and lightly gripping her backside as her hips moved against his.

"Great view." He moaned as he thrust his hips up. Jiao grinned and continued moving on top of him.

"Glad you think so," she replied.

"Know so." Ryder replied cheekily as he moved one of his hands up and pinched one of her nipples slightly. Jiao moaned, her hips instinctively bucking faster against him.

"Is that so?" Jiao asked, her eyes drifting shut as she continued to rock against his hips.

"Uh huh." He replied as his other hand drifted from her backside and moved between her legs. Jiao gasped and whimpered as she felt Ryder's fingers come into contact with the bundle of nerves between her legs.

"Jesus." She breathed out as her head rolled back slightly. Ryder slowly moved up into a sitting position, his mouth moving down to her breast.

"Apparently you're good at multitasking today." Jiao commented around a loud moan. Ryder simply responded by lightly biting her nipple, while his fingers and hips worked below her waist. Jiao gave another moan as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Definitely good at multitasking," she murmured. Ryder chuckled against her chest as he moved his mouth to her other breast, his free hand cupping and squeezing the breast he had just abandoned. Jiao arched her back at the now quadruple stimulation, her hips bucking against him at an increased pace. After a moment, he pulled his lips away from her breast.

"Close?" He commented as he jutted his hips upwards.

"Oh god, yes," Jiao breathed, her hips rolling against his.

"Good." He grinned as he pinched her bundle of nerves. Jiao's mouth fell open as she choked out a moan.

"Oh, god, Ryder!" She gasped as Ryder gave the sensitive bud another pinch. With one more upward thrust from his hips, Jiao was sent over the edge, her head dropping down onto his shoulder as she climaxed. Extracting his fingers and hands from their different locations, he wrapped his arms around her loosely as she came down from her high. Jiao emitted a soft almost purr-like noise from her throat as she felt Ryder lightly kiss the side of her neck.

"How ya doin?" He asked after a moment.

"Good," she replied. "You?" She asked, trying to think through her post-coital haze to figure out if he had had his own release as well.

"Good." He nodded, lying to her as he stroked her back gently. Jiao gave a soft tired hum as she nodded against his shoulder.

"That's good," she replied.

"Mmmhmm." He agreed. He carefully leaned back and lied the duvet with Jiao slumped on top of him as he continued to stroke her back. "Tired?" Ryder questioned as he bit back a laugh.

"Just need to…recuperate….for a few minutes," Jiao replied.

"Uh huh?" He chuckled. "Sounds like you could use some more sleep." He tilted his head down and kissed the top of her head.

"I guess maybe a little bit more sleep couldn't hurt," she murmured.

"Thought so." Ryder laughed. Jiao rolled her eyes and moved to slide off of him. Ryder sighed and resisted the urge to tighten his hold on her to stop her. "I like having you here," he commented.

"Falling asleep on top of you would constitute cuddling," she murmured as she rolled onto her side, facing him, on the duvet.

"Can I ask... Why no cuddling?" He questioned softly as he brushed a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. Jiao evasively looked away and bit her lip.

"I don't know, I've just never been all that into it," she lied.

"Okay." Ryder nodded after a moment as he kissed her. He could tell she was lying, but he could also tell she didn't want to discuss the matter. He decided to leave it for another time and simply followed her wishes. "Do you want me to pull the cover back up?" He asked as he tenderly stroked her cheek.

"Well... Unless you're a fan of the cold and shrinkage... Might be a good idea." She giggled tiredly. Ryder chuckled and brought the duvet up.

"I'm going to have to lie closer to you, like last night," he commented, "is that okay?" He asked.

"I guess that's okay." Jiao replied around a loud yawn. Ryder nodded and shifted closer to her until they were practically overlapping each other and laid the duvet over them. A part of him wondered if he should suggest moving back to Jiao's bedroom, but he liked being wrapped up close to her again and if Jiao wasn't going to mention lying on her bed, he wasn't going to be the one to bring it up. Once they were both lying comfortably, Ryder dropped a kiss onto her shoulder.

"Get some sleep," he murmured against her skin.

"Mmkay." She agreed around another loud yawn. Ryder smiled and lightly nuzzled his nose against her shoulder as she drifted off to sleep. He watched her sleep for a few moments before he too drifted off. It was a little after noon when Ryder woke up again and saw Jiao still sleeping. He was tempted to just lie there with her, but the light rumbling coming from his empty stomach had other plans. Slowly, he pushed the covers off himself. "Mm?" He heard Jiao groggily murmur as he sat up, her eyes slowly opening.

"Hey," Ryder softly said, looking down at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he apologized. Jiao blinked and stared at him.

"You're leaving?" She asked, a small frown gracing her features.

"What? No," Ryder replied. He reached over and gently stroked her cheek. "I was just going to microwave some of our leftovers from last night," he explained.

"Mmm... Food sounds good." Jiao murmured. Ryder smiled and lightly kissed her cheek.

"Alright then," he replied. "I'll microwave enough for the both of us," he said. "Do you want to eat in here, or in the kitchen?" He asked.

"Kitchen." She replied as she yawned and stretched.

"Okay," Ryder replied. He reached over to grab his boxers and pulled them on as he stood up. "I'll get the food started," he offered, giving Jiao a few more minutes to fully wake up if she needed it.

"Mmmkay." Came her tired response. Ryder strolled into the kitchen and pulled two plates out of Jiao's cabinet and set them on the counter. He pulled the two leftover containers out from the refrigerator and portioned out a serving of each dish into both of the plates. He had just finished putting one of the plates into the microwave when Jiao walked into the kitchen, back in her pajamas.

"Morning," he commented with a grin. Jiao smiled as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his midsection.

"Technically, its afternoon," she teasingly corrected him.

"Details, details." He chuckled. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly. "Sleep well?" He asked.

"Mmmhmm." Jiao nodded. "Very." Ryder grinned and gave her another kiss.

"Good," he replied as he rubbed her back.

"How about you?" Jiao asked as she leaned against his chest.

"Slept pretty good too," he smiled.

"Good," Jiao chuckled just as the microwave dinged behind them.

"Lunch is ready," Ryder grinned as he stepped away from her and pulled the plate out. He handed it to Jiao before putting the remaining plate into the microwave.

"Smells delicious." She giggled as she took the plate.

"Well, microwaving leftovers is my specialty," Ryder chuckled. Jiao giggled and shook her head as she grabbed a fork and walked over to the table.

"You're such a doofus," she teased.

"Could be worse." He laughed.

"Oh?" Jiao asked as she stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork and popped it into her mouth.

"Could have called me a dumbass." Grinning, he leaned over her chair and kissed her softly. Jiao laughed.

"And what would've happened if I called you that?" She asked.

"Hmm... I think I'd have to take your food away." He responded after a moment.

"You wouldn't do that," Jiao replied. Ryder opened his mouth but was interrupted by the microwave dinging. He moved back over to the appliance and pulled his plate out before grabbing a fork for himself and joining Jiao at the table.

"I wouldn't eh?" He questioned. Jiao grinned and shook her head.

"No, because see you wouldn't deprive me of food….as in nutrients….as in things that keep my strength up….because then that'd mean I'd be too weak for sex," she teased. "And as you said, you can't get enough of me."

"That is very true." Ryder agreed as he tucked into his own meal. "In fact, I'm thinking after we eat, we should revisit that whole kitchen sex idea," he said, biting back a grin.

"Oh?" Came her reply as she blushed. "And what exactly would it entail?" Ryder looked at her and gave her a wide grin.

"Well, that depends," he commented as he leaned closer to her, his mouth by her ear. "How sturdy is this table?" He huskily asked. Jiao blushed furiously.

"I'm not sure." She muttered in response. "I guess we can find out." Ryder chuckled and kissed the side of her neck.

"Good," he replied.

"What happens if it breaks though?" Jiao questioned after a moment.

"I guess we'll deal with that if that happens," Ryder replied.

"Okay." She murmured quietly, her cheeks still red with a blush. Ryder chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"Good," he replied, "finish your food," he commented as he leaned back in his seat and resumed eating.

"Yes sir." She giggled. Ryder and Jiao made idle chit-chat as they continued to eat until both of their plates were empty. Ryder stood up and picked up both of their dishes and utensils and took them to the sink.

"In a hurry?" Jiao commented.

"Maybe," Ryder grinned as he deposited the dishes into the sink.

"Oh really?" She giggled. Ryder moved back to the table, the grin still on his face. Jiao couldn't help match the grin as she slowly stood up. Ryder's hands went to her hips the moment he reached her. Jiao barely had enough time to wrap her arms around his neck before he hoisted her up and sat her down on the table.

"Yes, really," he replied as he stood between her legs.

"So... How exactly...um.." She trailed off as his hands moved to the hemline of her shirt and began to tug it upwards. She bit her lip and slowly lifted her arms to let him take her shirt off.

"How exactly, what?" Ryder asked as he tossed her shirt aside.

"How exactly do we do this?" She murmured, the blush that had been on her cheeks previously, reappearing. Ryder's grin widened even more as he wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her back.

"Well, I was thinking we could start with this…" He trailed off as he leaned in, his lips latching onto her collarbone. Jiao's head lolled to the side slightly as she let a soft moan slip from her lips.

"Uh huh?" She questioned.

"And then," Ryder murmured against her skin as his lips slowly trailed down to her chest, "we move on to here," he huskily commented.

"And after that?" She breathed. Instead of replying, Ryder moved his lips down to one of her nipples while one of his hands slowly glided from her back to gently cup her other breast. Jiao let out a shaky moan as her eyes drifted shut. "Not that I'm complaining….but this doesn't feel all that different from bedroom sex or living room sex," she murmured, arching her back as Ryder lightly raked his teeth over her nipple.

"Oh it will be." He murmured against her skin. He kept up his attention on her chest before slowly releasing her breasts and moving his lips down to her stomach. "Lie back," he softly murmured.

"Oh...Okay." She replied as she slowly relaxed and laid down on the table. Once she was on her back, Ryder gently tugged her pajama pants down, lifting her up from the small of her back to get the pants down her hips. Jiao bit her lip and watched as he pulled her pants all the way off and tossed them aside just like he had with her shirt. She moaned as she felt Ryder's finger lightly brush against her lower region. "Are you just going to tease me all day, or do you plan on actually doing something?" Jiao asked.

"I dunno... Seems like you're being a little bossy." He chuckled.

"So?" Jiao asked, rising herself up on her elbows to look at him. "What, you have a problem with bossy?" She challenged, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Not at all." Ryder grinned as he kissed her. Jiao responded to the kiss, lightly flicking her tongue against his lips. Ryder continued to kiss her as one of his hands slid up her thigh. Jiao moaned against his mouth as she felt Ryder's hand cup against her sex, the heel of his palm brushing against her bundle of nerves.

"Plan on doing something with that hand of yours?" She murmured against his lips.

"I believe I already am," he grinned, his hand grounding down against the bundle of nerves. Jiao gasped and arched up against him.

"Is that all you plan on doing?" She asked.

"Maybe.." He murmured huskily.

"And here I thought you wanted to see how sturdy this table was," she murmured, lightly biting his lower lip.

"We're getting there." Ryder replied as he nipped her lip lightly. He slid his hand lower and slowly slipped two of his fingers inside of her. Jiao moaned and shifted her hips on the table.

"Well, get there faster," she softly demanded around another moan.

"Can't rush a good thing." Came his response. Jiao let out a half aroused and half frustrated sigh as Ryder's fingers continued to move inside of her.

"Ryder…" Jiao groaned as she felt Ryder's thumb move up and circle her sensitive bud as his index and middle fingers stayed where they were.

"Yes?" He questioned.

"Unless you want me to seriously hurt you," she threatened, though it was difficult to sound too menacing while biting back another moan. "You'll quit with the teasing." Ryder chuckled.

"Well, I don't know Jiao….I mean, threats tend to ruin the mood for me," he joked. Jiao lifted her head slightly and leveled him with a glare.

"If you want to be able to have sex again, you'll take your boxers off now." She stated. Ryder laughed and leaned over Jiao to kiss her.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you patience is a virtue?" He asked.

"I really don't think having me lying on my kitchen table butt naked is the right time to talk about what might be virtuous," Jiao lightly snapped back. Ryder chuckled again.

"Good point," he replied as he slowly withdrew his hands from between her thighs and began to tug his boxers down.

"Finally." She stated before dropping her head backwards onto the table. Ryder simply chuckled as he gently parted her legs before carefully joining her on the table. Jiao let out a mix between a sigh and a moan as he pushed himself inside her. She wrapped her arms around him as Ryder slowly thrust his hips against hers, the table creaking slightly with each move.

"You sure this table can hold us?" He moaned as he pulled back and thrust into her again.

"I don't…know," Jiao replied around a moan as she clung to his back and thrust against him. Ryder dropped his head into the crook of her neck as his thrusts sped up slightly, the table creaks increasing with the movement of his hips. Jiao gasped as he hit the sensitive spot inside of her.

"If it does break, you're paying for a new one since this was your idea," Jiao somehow managed to comment as Ryder continued to thrust into her.

"Uh huh." He grunted against her skin. One of Jiao's hands slowly slid up his back, her fingers burying into his hair as she wrapped her legs around him, holding his body closer to hers.

"Oh god," Jiao cried out as Ryder continued to hit the sensitive area. She arched her back as her toes reflexively curled. Carefully, Ryder slipped his arms under her back, pulling her closer and sliding deeper inside her. Jiao choked back a moan and tightened her legs around him as his pace increased, the table creaking and whining in protest at the frenzied movement. Ryder groaned against her neck as he felt her walls constrict around him. He thrust into her sharply, causing Jiao to let out a low guttural moan. After a few more sharp thrusts, Jiao's body tensed as she climaxed with a small breathless shriek. Jiao's walls tightening around him was enough to send Ryder over the edge right along with her.

"Fuck." He moaned out against her neck. Jiao whimpered as they road out the waves of their joint orgasm, her head dropping onto his shoulder.

"Uh huh," she murmured. She let out a shaky breath and carefully unraveled her legs from his waist and set them back on the table. Just as her legs were stretched out, there was a loud snap before the table broke. Both Jiao and Ryder exclaimed loudly as the table crashed to the floor.

"Are you okay?" Ryder worriedly asked as the two recovered from the shock. Jiao looked up at him and slowly nodded.

"Yeah, you?" She asked. Ryder returned the nod. Jiao sighed and laid her head back on the table. "We broke the table," she commented, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all. Ryder chuckled.

"Yeah, we did," he replied. Jiao looked around for a moment, her face dropping.

"Oh my god," she said, her eyes growing wide.

"What is it?" Ryder asked. Jiao responded by pushing at his shoulder.

"Get off," she urgently said. Ryder carefully rolled off of her as Jiao scrambled up to her feet.

"Jiao, what's wrong?" Ryder asked. Jiao looked around the kitchen, her face pale.

"Tybalt….he sometimes lounges under the table…." She said, her voice shaky. Ryder's eyes widened and he quickly got off the table as well.

"I…I'm sure he's okay," Ryder tried to assure her as Jiao continued to visibly panic. Jiao stared at the destroyed table, her eyes the size of saucers. Ryder mentally cursed himself as he went to lift up the table, afraid of what they might find. He had just grabbed the edge when a soft meow sounded from the doorway out of the kitchen. Jiao spun around to see her cat perched by the archway, staring at them with his head tilted to the side.

"Oh my god," Jiao breathed out, her shoulders slumping in relief. Ryder sighed and stood up, moving over towards her as she took a few deep breaths, her hand over her heart.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, just….waiting for my heart to settle back in my chest," she wryly chuckled. Ryder wrapped his arms her and pulled her back against his chest.

"It's okay," he said, trying to soothe her as he lightly kissed her neck.

"Uh huh." She nodded. She sighed and slumped back against him as the stress left her body. "I can't believe we broke my table," she chuckled after a moment.

"The sex must have been good or something." Ryder chuckled huskily in her ear. Jiao bit her lip as his breath hit her skin.

"Or something," she smiled. Ryder grinned and carefully turned her around in his arms. He held her close and kissed her deeply.

"What? Are you trying to tell me that you're ready to go again?" Jiao giggled as she pulled away a moment later. Ryder chuckled.

"Nah, not yet at least," he replied.

"Yet?" Jiao asked, quirking an eyebrow. "You're not at all worried that someone back on the rez is going to file a missing person's report?" She teased. Ryder frowned.

"Is that your way of kicking me out?" He asked.

"No…." Jiao replied. "I'm just saying….you've been here for…well, definitely over 48 hours. Plus, I think my lady parts are kind of unable to handle anymore rounds for a while."

"That's very upsetting." He replied gravely.

"Well, you and your inability to get enough of me has sufficiently warn the lady parts out," she chuckled. Ryder gently pulled her against him again and kissed her.

"Well, my apologizes, Princess," he teased. "I am sincerely sorry for wearing out your lady parts," he grinned. Jiao rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder.

"Don't call me Princess." She stated.

"Oh? Why not?" He asked.

"Because I said so," she replied. Ryder grinned and ducked his head down, kissing her soundly. Jiao moaned against his lips as the kiss sent a round of flutters through her insides and a pleasant shiver down her spine. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Ryder deepened the kiss, crushing her against him. After a moment, he pulled his lips away and rested his forehead against hers.

"Now, what was it you didn't want me to call you?" He huskily whispered.

"Dun remember," Jiao murmured as she recovered from the kiss.

"Thought so." He chuckled in response. He gave her a light peck on the lips and tenderly rubbed her back. "And, as for your lady parts….I could just hang out here, without any more 'rounds' until you recover," he grinned. "We can watch a movie or something," he shrugged. Jiao looked up at him, biting her lip as she tensed in his arms. As much as him staying around sounded nice, a part of her was afraid of what that meant. It suggested something between them. It made them being together about something beyond sex. And she didn't want that.

"No, I think me and my lady parts are down for a while," she said, "maybe all day."

"Aww, how sad." He pouted. Jiao nodded.

"Yeah," she replied as she stepped out of his arms. "So…maybe…you should head home or something," she shrugged. Frowning slightly, Ryder nodded slowly.

"Yeah, okay." Jiao stepped around him and picked up his boxers from beside the broken table and tossed them to him. Ryder sighed as he caught his underwear. "Mind if I take a shower before you kick me out of your place?" He asked, not hiding his annoyance and disappointment very well.

"Whatever." She shrugged.

"Great," he curtly replied, turning on his heel and going to Jiao's bathroom. Jiao sighed as he walked away. She ran a hand through her messy hair and gathered her discarded clothes before putting them back on. Once she was dressed she moved back to her room and picked up Ryder's clothes from where they were still folded on her bed. She wandered over to the bathroom to see Ryder had left the door open, she could hear the shower running as she walked in.

"I'm putting your clothes on the counter," she called out to him to be heard over the running water.

"Whatever." He replied, adopting the same tone that she had used with him before. Jiao looked down, surprised by the pang she felt to her heart at his tone. She didn't quite understand why she would be hurt, since she had spoken to him just a few moments before, but if he had felt what she was feeling at that moment, now she had a small amount of guilt along with the painful little pang.

"I….um…..I'm sorry," she muttered. She wasn't sure if he had heard her or not. She stood there for a moment, unsure what else to say or do. She sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "…Right, well….I guess I'll just go," she muttered as she turned to leave the bathroom. She headed back to her room and slumped down on her bed, staring up at her ceiling as she heard the shower continue to run down the hall. She heard Tybalt scamper into the room and jump up onto the bed before settling at her side. Jiao smiled sadly down at her cat and scratched his head. A few minutes later she heard the shower shut off in the distance. Moments later, Ryder walked in fully dressed and ruffling a towel through his hair as he searched for his shoes. "Hey," Jiao murmured as she sat up. Ryder ignored her and simply sat on the foot of her bed to put his shoes on. "I'm sorry." She murmured after a few tense moments of silence.

"Whatever," Ryder said in the same tone he had in the shower. Jiao bit her lip and slowly shifted to the foot of the bed, stopping right behind him.

"Ryder," she murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ryder quickly shrugged her hand away.

"You want me to leave, then quit bugging me so I can finish putting my shoes on," he icily commented. Jiao felt her throat constrict at his tone and words.

"It's not that I want you to leave." Jiao murmured softly. Ryder scoffed and turned sideways to look at her.

"Sure sounds like it," he replied. Jiao looked down at her lap.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," she said in a tiny voice.

"A little late for that don't you think Jiao?" He commented. Jiao let out a shaky breath as she pushed down the sudden urge to cry.

"I've said I'm sorry, what more do you want?" Jiao asked.

"Maybe an explanation as to why out of nowhere you want me out of here," Ryder replied. "What, the kitchen table breaking pissed you off that much?" He asked.

"What? God no!" She stated, shaking her head. "I could care less about the table.. It's just that..." She trailed off.

"Just what?" Ryder asked. Jiao sighed and looked away. "Just what?" Ryder insisted. Jiao took a deep breath.

"It just felt like we were complicating things," she finally said.

"Complicating things how?" He questioned.

"You wanting to stay….even if sex was out of the question for a while…..it just felt….like moving beyond just great sex," she replied. Ryder stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"Wow," he replied. "You've jumped to the conclusion that I'm trying to move things into relationship territory twice already," he commented. "Should I be worried? I mean, exactly how relationship phobic are you? What's next, you'll break out into hives if I try to hold your hand or something?"

"Shut up." She snapped quickly. Ryder sighed and shook his head again.

"Just so you know, I wasn't trying to 'complicate' things when I suggested sticking around," he stated. "Or, what, because we've had sex, we can't even occupy the same space as friends…..or even people who at least remotely enjoy each other's company?" He asked. "But, whatever, fine," he commented as he stood up. "I'm out of here."

"I'm sorry." She whispered again. Ryder just sighed and left the room. Jiao quickly slid off of her bed and followed him. She was relieved to see she caught up to him before he got to the door. "Wait," Jiao said, grabbing his wrist to stop him inches from the door. "I really am sorry," she softly. "Please don't be mad at me."

"And why shouldn't I be mad?" He questioned in response. Jiao looked down, unsure how to reply to that.

"…Because I'm sorry…" She finally said after a moment, though she felt a little like she was lamely grasping at straws with that. Ryder sighed in response.

"What are you sorry for?" He asked, looking at her. "For jumping to the wrong conclusion out of nowhere, again, or for making me feel like some bad one night stand mistake that you want out of your place the second you're done with it?" He asked. Jiao's mouth fell open, hurt that he'd think that.

"Ryder…that's not…." She took a deep breath, unable to stop a few tears from collecting in her eyes. She quickly looked away. "You know that's not what I meant," she murmured.

"So it's for jumping to the wrong conclusions then?" Came his question. Jiao simply nodded in response, unable to say anything. Ryder sighed again. "You need to stop that," he commented. "If you're going to think I'm expecting more from you than you're ready for or want, whenever I make the slightest comment, then this isn't going to work."

"I know." She agreed softly. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again, I swear," she added, hoping he had forgiven her.

"I believe you." He replied softly. Jiao let out a shaky breath and nodded.

"Okay," she said. Ryder sighed and gently pulled her towards him before wrapping his arms around her. Jiao rested her head against his chest and slid her arms around his midsection as Ryder rubbed her back.

"I should probably get going," he said after a few moments.

"Huh?" She questioned as she pulled away.

"Well, you're right, I have been here for a while, people might start to worry," he gave her a small smile, "besides, I can't have you getting sick of me this early," he joked.

"I guess so." She nodded. "Or, you can stay for a little while longer," she murmured. She wasn't sure if she was ready for him to leave so soon after their disagreement. "We could watch a movie, like you suggested earlier."

"I'd like that... But I think it's probably best if I go." Ryder murmured as he touched her face gently.

"Oh, okay," she replied, her tone somewhat disappointed. "I guess I'll see you around then," she murmured. Ryder leaned in and kissed her softly.

"Sooner than you think." He promised. "I mean, if anything, whenever we're all next expected back at Conner's place, especially since you'll need a ride."

"Huh?" Jiao asked. Ryder chuckled.

"You left your car there, remember?" He lightly teased.

"Oh shit right." She muttered, closing her eyes. Ryder chuckled and kissed her again.

"Do you want me to take what was once your table out onto the curb before I go?" He offered.

"I can get it later." Jiao replied. Ryder nodded.

"Alright, I guess I'll go then," he said. He leaned in and gave her one last kiss before taking his arms away from her and heading towards the door.

"Okay." She nodded softly. "Bye."

"Bye," Ryder replied, giving her a smile as he opened the door and walked out of the house. Jiao let out a long breath as she watched him leave. She heard him walk off her porch and a few moments later she heard his car start up as he drove away. Jiao bit her lip and looked around her living room, as if remembering what it was like to not to have Ryder in her house. It felt odd. He had been there for so long, and for some reason now it felt empty. She had gotten too accustomed to him being in her home, and now she needed to remember and re-accustom herself to her space being her own again. Jiao sighed and figured such a task would be easier if she kept herself occupied.

Jiao spent the rest of the day doing all the laundry and dishes that had accumulated in the last few days. After she maneuvered her broken table out onto the curb and took out her trash and recycling, she finally got around to taking a shower. By the time she had dried off and changed into a fresh pair of yoga pants and a tank top, the day was heading into night. Jiao made herself a quick dinner of canned soup and looked up a number for a cab company to get to work the next day. Logic told her she should've told Ryder to take her to pick up her car before he left, but the tension between them still felt too pronounced and it was probably best that he just left.

Once she finished eating and stored the number in her phone, she fed Tybalt and relaxed in her room, watching TV until she fell asleep.


	23. Unwanted Visitor

Kira moved slowly as she exited the shower the following morning. It had taken her nearly an hour to convince Conner that she would be fine to shower on her own, without his assistance. Her persistence, and Trent's involvement towards the end, had finally paid off and the yellow ranger carefully wrapped a soft towel around her body before grabbing another for her hair. She did her best to wrap her hair in the towel, but it was difficult to make an actual 'turban' out of the towel without bending over to do it the proper way, which was something Kira's still healing stomach muscles weren't ready to do. Instead, Kira simply ruffled the towel through her hair as she made her way out of the bathroom. Just as she reached the door to her bedroom, Conner appeared at the top of the stairs.

"I thought I heard the shower shut off."

"Well, that does tend to happen when someone finishes showering," she cheekily replied.

"Smartass." He shot back as he moved towards her. "How do you feel?"

"Okay," Kira replied. "A little sore, but nothing too bad," she elaborated as she walked over to her dresser and pulled out some clothes.

"That's good." Conner smiled. "What do you want to do today?" Kira set her underwear and shirt on the edge of her bed before pulling a pair of jeans from her closet.

"I figured we'd call the troops in," she replied as she set her pants on her bed along with everything else. "Get back to work….and maybe see if Jiao can do that thing for Trent." Conner frowned.

"Don't you think it's a little soon to 'get back to work'?" He asked as Kira started pulling her underwear on.

"Conner, I'm fine." She argued lightly as she dropped the towel back down. "I relaxed and rested all of yesterday, I can handle doing more than just eating, sleeping and watching TV," she sighed.

"I just don't want you to overexert yourself," Conner replied.

"I won't." Was her short reply as she snatched her bra and adjusted it over her chest. Conner sighed and stepped closer to her. Once Kira finished adjusting her bra, he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," he tenderly murmured before kissing the side of her neck.

"For?" She questioned.

"For babying you," Conner replied, hoping that was enough to get him out of the doghouse. Kira's expression didn't seem to change, causing Conner to sigh. "…And for being an overbearing pain in the ass."

"Better." She nodded. Conner smiled and kissed her neck again.

"Still love me?" He asked.

"Debatable at times." Kira replied with a small smirk. Conner pouted for a moment.

"Anyway I can change that?" He asked, his hand lightly caressing her side.

"Well, you can start by letting me get back to work." She stated. Conner sighed.

"Okay, but….just work around here, okay?" He lightly pleaded. "I don't think you going up against the green ranger any time too soon is a good idea." He placed a tender kiss on her cheek. "Trent and I were thinking maybe Jiao could show you the ropes with all the computer mumbo jumbo, and you can help her."

"...Pardon?" Kira questioned, tilting her head to the side as if she hadn't heard him correctly. Conner froze, replaying what he had said in his head to find anything Kira could be opposed to.

"I….um….was just saying….you know, having an extra pair of hands with the computer stuff couldn't hurt….." He murmured.

"Get out." She stated simply. Conner stepped away from her.

"Wh..what? Kira, what did I do wrong?" He asked, not understanding what was so bad about that. "I mean….you're still recovering, we thought this would make you happy until you're fully recovered."

"I'm not discussing this right now with you Conner, because if I do, we'll be going back to the hospital a lot sooner than either of us needs to be. Please get out." Came her reply. Conner sighed and ran his hand through his hair, getting a little frustrated by how difficult she was being.

"I'm just trying to help," he replied. "But fine, if you want to be stubborn, go right ahead," he commented before storming out of the room. Kira sighed as he stormed out of the room. Part of her wanted to call him back and apologize, but the other part of her knew that she was justified in what she had said to him. Shaking her head, Kira grabbed the shirt she had pulled on and carefully pulled it over her head. Reaching for a brush, she pulled it through her hair before grabbing an elastic band and pulling her hair into a ponytail. After a few moments she finished getting ready and took the towels back to the bathroom before carefully walking down the stairs.

"Hey Kira." Trent commented as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hi," she replied as she made her way to the kitchen to get herself some breakfast. She stopped at the doorway as she noticed two plates sitting on the counter with steaming eggs, bacon and toast on the side. Conner was standing at the stove, serving up the last of the meal, potatoes, onto each plate. He turned the stove off and turned around, holding the pan in his hands to move to the sink.

"Oh. Hi." He commented before turning back towards the sink.

"Hi," Kira muttered in reply, unsure what else to say.

"I made you breakfast." He stated as he dumped the pan into the sink. He took a fork out for himself and grabbed one of the plates. "I'm eating upstairs," he commented as he headed out of the kitchen.

"Conner..." Kira sighed as he brushed past her.

"Unless you're planning on apologizing, I don't want to hear it, Kira," Conner replied.

"So I have to apologize for not wanting to be cooped up like a shut in?" She questioned turning and facing him slightly. "You could have at least discussed with me Conner."

"It was just a suggestion, just an idea Trent and I had," Conner snapped back. "If the green ranger pops up, it's not like you can take him on in your state. But I know you; you'll get upset because you'll feel like staying out of the fights gives you nothing to do as part of the team. Working with Jiao just seemed like a logical thing…I thought that'd make you happy. But whatever, do what you want. Since you're so against me doing anything to help or take care of you, I won't. Now if you don't mind, my breakfast is getting cold," he stated as he turned back towards the door. Kira's mouth fell open slightly as he walked away.

Trying to forget the encounter, Kira retrieved her breakfast and ate it in silence. Her thoughts continued to wander back to the fight and as she finished her meal she sighed heavily. It was obvious that Conner really was trying to help her get well, and yet keep her engaged in the heat of things at the same time. "Stupid Kira." She muttered as she pushed the chair back and moved out of the kitchen. She moved back up the stairs and slowly walked towards Conner's room. Reaching the door, she found it partially shut and carefully maneuvered herself through the opening. Conner was lying on his back, a book open in his hands, hiding his face. "Conner," she softly spoke. "Can we talk?" She asked.

"Got some more you want to fight about?" He questioned, dropping the book. "Care to tell me how unfair I'm being? How you hate me? What Kira." Kira couldn't help it as tears sprang to her eyes at his cold tone.

"I didn't come here to fight, Conner," she commented in a small voice.

"Then what exactly do you want?" He replied, his tone bordering on exasperation. Kira sighed.

"I just wanted to apologize….and say that I understand what you were trying to do with your suggestion," she murmured.

"Finally." He muttered as he tossed the book down. "Look, I know it sucks that you can't be out there... But given the alternative..." Sighing, Conner moved off the bed and stood up. "Our intentions were good." Kira looked down.

"I get that now," she murmured. Slowly, Conner moved over to where she was standing and gently ran his knuckle over her cheek. Kira sighed and leaned into his touch.

"I love you Rockstar." He murmured tenderly. Kira's mouth quirked up into a small smile and she stepped closer to him.

"I love you too, Jock," she replied. Conner smiled and wrapped his arms around her, tucking her head under his chin after placing a soft kiss on her temple.

"I hate it when you're mad at me," he commented as he held her close.

"I'm not exactly a fan of it either." She sighed. Conner gave her a tender squeeze and rubbed her back.

"Do you want to relax for a little while? We can call the others later and ask them to come in around lunch time or something," Conner stated.

"Sure." She agreed, snuggling closer to him. Conner smiled and slowly pulled away from her and took hold of her hand to lead her over to his bed. "Your bed hmm?" She questioned. "And what exactly are we doing in your bed?" Conner chuckled.

"Nothing that's not recommended this soon in your recovery," he teased as he leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I just figured we could lie down for a little while."

"Alright." Kira smiled. "Cuddling with you sounds like a good plan." Conner smiled back at her.

"Glad you think so," he replied as Kira sat down on the bed. He moved over to the other side and climbed in next to her. Carefully, Kira lay on her back and then rolled onto her side into Conner's embrace, careful not to aggravate her stomach too much. Conner gently pulled her close to him and tenderly rubbed her back as she nestled her head into the crook of his neck. She let out a content sigh as her free hand slipped across his chest and rested gently over his heart. "Comfy?" Conner smiled as his hands continued to caress her back.

"Your chest makes an extremely comfy pillow." Kira smiled. "Makes me regret that I didn't find this out sooner." Conner dropped a soft kiss on the side of her head.

"Well, you know now, that's what matters," he tenderly murmured against her skin.

"Agreed." Came her soft reply. Conner smiled and placed another kiss on the side of her head.

"I love you," he commented.

"I love you too." Kira murmured softly. She nuzzled her nose against his throat and lightly kissed his pulse point. Smiling softly, Conner gently rubbed her back.

Later on that afternoon, Jiao sighed as she sat cross legged on her living room couch, her laptop perched on her lap. She was idly surfing the web waiting for Ryder to show up. Conner had called an hour ago stating the team was to converge on the house to resume working. Jiao, still unsure how things were with Ryder, had simply sent him a text message saying she needed him to pick her up. He replied with just a one word message: "okay" and that was that. Jiao sighed again and checked her watch, wondering if she should've called Hayden or the cab company she had used to get to work yesterday instead.

Jiao's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. Jiao set her computer down on her coffee table as she stood up. "Hold on." She commented as there was another knock from the other side of the door as she approached it. She unlocked the door and opened it to see Ryder on her porch. "Hey," she carefully said, stepping aside to let him in. Ryder walked into the house and let the door close behind him. "I need to put my shoes on, I'll be right back," she commented as she turned towards her bedroom. After one step, she felt Ryder take a hold of her elbow and pull her back before turning her back around. Jiao opened her mouth, expecting Ryder to still be upset with her about the other day, though she was unable to say anything before Ryder ducked in and kissed her. Jiao sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back. After a few moments, Ryder slowly ended the kiss and grinned.

"Sorry, figured doing that at Conner's place would be a no-no, so had to do it when I could," he chuckled.

"That'd probably go against us keeping this a secret." She agreed.

"Yeah," Ryder nodded. He leaned in and gave her one more kiss before letting her go. "Well, I guess I should let you put your shoes on."

"That would be a good idea," Jiao replied with a slight roll of her eyes. He grinned as she moved away. Jiao headed towards her room and sat on the foot of her bed as she pulled her shoes on.

"So," she heard Ryder comment from the living room, "you have any plans for whenever we're all done at Conner's place?" He asked. Jiao shrugged to herself as she tied her shoe and pulled the other on.

"No, why?" She asked.

"No reason, just making conversation," came Ryder's reply, though Jiao could practically hear the grin in his tone.

"Uh huh... I somehow doubt it's just an innocent conversation starter." She heard Ryder chuckle in response to that. Jiao rolled her eyes and got up after she finished tying her shoes. She moved out to the living room to find Ryder leaning against her couch idly petting Tybalt who was perched on the armrest, arching himself up into Ryder's hand.

"I was just curious," Ryder innocently replied, but the grin still on his face was anything but innocent.

"Bullshit." Jiao commented teasingly. Ryder shrugged.

"Whatever you say, Princess," he replied, still grinning. He scratched Tybalt behind the ears before stepping away from the couch. "So, shall we go?" He asked.

"Don't call me princess." Jiao shot back at him.

"Would you rather Pinky?" He asked, bringing up the nickname he had used by her car a few days ago.

"No," Jiao replied. "I'd rather you just use my name," she replied as she headed towards the door.

"Oh? And how should I use your name?" He commented, his tone bordering on husky. Jiao bit her lip as she fought back a blush and managed to shrug nonchalantly.

"I don't know," she replied.

"Hmm... Maybe we should figure that out then." He mused.

"Oh, and I'm assuming that's what you have in mind for later?" She chuckled. "Oh, wait, I'm sorry, you were asking about my plans just out of curiosity," she teased.

"Oh I have a lot in mind for later." He winked.

"Oh really?" Jiao asked, sliding her arms around his neck. "Such as?"

"Hmm... Maybe a little laundry room sex." He murmured as he moved in for a kiss.

"As in, basement sex?" Jiao replied, making a face. "Its way too cold and dank down there for sex," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"Oh, I can make sure it's not cold." Ryder grinned. Jiao chuckled again.

"Yeah, right," she replied. She pulled her arms off and reached around him to give her cat a parting scratch under the chin. "Alright, let's go," she commented to Ryder.

"Yes princess." He agreed. Jiao glared at him.

"What did I say about calling me that?" She asked.

"My apologies." He grinned cheekily. Jiao rolled her eyes and picked up her messenger bag before heading towards her front door. Ryder simply chuckled as he followed her out the door. Jiao locked her front door and the two walked off the porch and headed towards his car. The ride over to the old James house didn't take very long, and was relatively quiet. Once Ryder pulled up in front of the house, he parked behind Jiao's car on the street before the two climbed out of the car.

"So what do you think they want to talk to us about?" Ryder asked as they wandered up the driveway.

"Well, I'm probably supposed to go back to working on the computer system," Jiao commented. "As for you and Hayden," Jiao shrugged, "I dunno, maybe they just want to have a team pow-wow after what happened with the mall," she commented as they stepped onto the porch and she rang the doorbell.

"With good reason." He murmured in reply. A moment later the door opened to reveal Trent standing there.

"Hey," he commented, stepping aside to let the two walk in. "We were waiting for you guys, everyone's in the kitchen," he stated.

"Sorry we're late." Jiao commented. The three headed towards the kitchen to find Hayden, Kira and Conner sitting at the table and two boxes of pizza on the counter.

"Hey," Kira greeted as she took a sip from her cup of soda. "Want some pizza?" She offered, gesturing to the boxes.

"I'm starving." Ryder commented as he moved for the pizza.

"Guess I could eat," Jiao shrugged as she followed him while Trent resumed his seat at the table.

"How are you feeling?" Ryder directed his question to Kira after a few large mouthfuls of his pizza had been consumed.

"I'm alright," Kira replied as she took a bite of her own pizza. "Not to happy about how long it's going to take to recover, but other than that I'm surviving," she muttered.

"Could be worse." Hayden offered around a mouthful of food.

"He's right," Conner replied, putting an arm around Kira's shoulders.

"I mean, you could be dead." Hayden continued.

"Yeah, I got what you meant. You really didn't need to elaborate," Kira commented as she took another bite of her pizza.

"Didn't know if you caught it." Came Hayden's reply as he shrugged.

"So, what do we do now?" Jiao asked after swallowing a bite of her pizza.

"Plan." Conner commented, shooting a glare at Hayden before turning his glance to Jiao. "We need to figure out what to do."

"And what sort of plan are we supposed to figure out?" Jiao asked.

"Figure out our plan of attack for one." Trent jumped in.

"But how effective would that be if our green friend does a surprise attack, like the mall?" Hayden asked as he nibbled at the crust of his mostly eaten pizza.

"That's part of the reason why we're here." Conner replied as he sipped at his bottle of water. "We need to be prepared for the unexpected."

"Sounds reasonable," Jiao commented.

"More like ridiculous." Hayden shot back. "How the hell are we supposed to prepare for the unexpected?" The others rolled their eyes.

"Well, when you're prepared, it makes the unexpected not as unexpected and dangerous," Trent pointed out.

"...That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever." Hayden rolled his eyes. "It'd probably be easier just to put blindfolds over our eyes and walk down the Interstate while trying to avoid oncoming traffic."

"Alright, why don't you go get started on that," Jiao replied in a mock sweet tone.

"Eat me." He snapped at Jiao.

"Sorry, I'm on a no jackass diet," Jiao quipped as she took another bite of her pizza.

"Stop it." Kira sighed tiredly as she took a sip of water.

"I will if Mr. Negativity over here stops being so difficult," Jiao replied as she chewed her food.

"You're one to talk about being difficult," Hayden scoffed.

"Guys please." The older female ranger sighed. "I'm too tired and sore to listen to you two sip at each other."

"Fine, sorry," Jiao murmured.

"Sorry Kira." Hayden muttered, not sounding sincere at all.

"Thank you," Kira sighed as she wearily rested her head on Conner's shoulder.

"We can postpone this." Ryder commented, noticing the exhaustion written on Kira's face.

"No, I'm fine," Kira insisted.

"You sure?" Conner murmured softly as he rubbed her shoulder gently.

"Mmhm," she replied. "It's just the pain meds the doc prescribed. I'm fine, really," Kira assured him.

"Let us know if it changes." Trent commented, reaching over and squeezing her hand.

"Will do," Kira replied.

"We should probably head downstairs." Ryder commented a few minutes later. The others nodded their agreement. Conner slipped his arm around Kira's shoulder again and helped her to stand. Ryder grabbed the paper plates he and Jiao had been using and tossed them in the garbage. Trent retrieved the remaining plates as Hayden stood as well. Once the table was cleared, the group made their way down to the basement lair. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Conner moved towards the console and as he sat, took Kira with him. She groaned slightly at the change in position, before curling next to him, her head resting against his collarbone. Jiao set her messenger bag down and took a seat in front of the main computer.

"So, should I go back to working on the system in here?" Jiao questioned as she booted up the computers.

"Is that okay?" Conner asked as his arm slipped around Kira again, his hand idly stroking her back. Jiao shrugged.

"I don't mind," she replied as she finished up logging into the system.

"Thanks." Kira commented, giving the younger ranger a smile. Conner cast a look over to Trent as the two shared a nod before looking back at Jiao.

"When you're ready….we were wondering if you could do something else too," Conner spoke. Jiao swirled around in her chair to look at them, frowning slightly at their urgent expressions.

"By the look of your faces, I'm assuming organ donation?" She lightly joked. Trent chuckled.

"Uh no," he replied. He took a deep breath. "Do you remember the day you first met us? And how Kira had you place that….very long distance phone call?" He asked. Jiao slowly nodded her head. "Well, we….I mean, I, need you to do it again," he stated. "My family's there…I just…want to talk to them," he softly continued, a part of him wondering if his request fell into selfish territory and would result in Jiao laughing in his face and declaring there were more important things. Jiao was quiet for a moment before responding.

"Give me a few days?" She carefully asked. "The system, namely the security, still has some cracks in it. If our green buddy is able to get in here, who knows if he can hack into the computers? And if that's the case, contacting your family, and possibly giving him an idea of where they are, is a seriously bad idea."

"She makes a good point." Kira murmured after a few moments. She had seen the look of disappointment cross Trent's face, but knew deep down that Jiao's request for a stay of a few days was valid, and warranted. Jiao bit her lip, feeling a little bad for shattering Trent's hopes.

"I can try and get it done in 2, maybe three days," she offered. She shrugged. "I didn't mind working through the night and chugging down coffee the other day. It shouldn't be too hard doing a repeat of that."

"That's not a good idea," Ryder quickly blurted out, not liking the idea of Jiao planning on staying up all night and working. He had a different plan for that evening. He cleared his throat when he caught the others looking at him. "I mean….working when you're tired," he explained. "You're more prone to make mistakes, which might set you back a day or something, so it's probably best to just…work when you're well rested."

"He's right." Conner agreed. Jiao stared at Ryder for a moment as she got a pretty good idea of what his real concern was, and it had little to do with her making mistakes while working on the system while she was tired. She bit back a small incredulous smirk and shifted her gaze back to the others to keep her expression straight.

"Alright," she replied. She gave Trent an apologetic look. "I'll get as much work as possible done when I can. We should be ready to make that long distance call in three or four days, five at the very latest," she promised.

"Thank you." He murmured after a few moments. "I'm thankful that you're even doing this." Jiao shook her head slightly.

"I may not be Mary Sunshine of the Land of Rainbows friend to all….but I'm not completely heartless as to shoot down your hopes to contacting your loved ones," she pointed out.

"Notice she said 'not _completely_ heartless'," Hayden murmured. "So, just partially so." Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Keep it up, Hayden, and you'll get the privilege of knowing what 'completely heartless' entails," she flippantly commented as she swiveled her chair back to face the computer.

"Do explain." Hayden snapped back.

"Sorry, busy," she dismissively replied as her fingers clicked on the keyboard and she pulled up the computer system schematics to resume her work.

"Bullshit." The youngest ranger muttered under his breath. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Can please someone give him something to do that involves being far away from me?" Jiao commented to the others.

"I'll go." Kira murmured softly as she pulled her head off of Conner's shoulder.

"No, I've got it," Trent quickly offered. He could see Kira was too tired to do much of anything, besides he needed something to distract him from his feelings of disappointment.

"Okay." She murmured, dropping her head back into the crook of Conner's neck in exhaustion. Conner wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her head.

"How about I take you back upstairs and you have a little nap?" He suggested, noticing Kira was getting wearier and wearier by the minute.

"I can go myself." She murmured. "You stay here with Jiao."

"Are you sure?" He softly asked, lightly kissing her skin again. "I could nap with you, if you want," he offered, giving her an affectionate squeeze.

"It's okay." She murmured, her heart fluttering at the idea of Conner napping with her. "Stay here... I'll see you later." Conner nodded and carefully pulled his arms off of her.

"Okay," he replied. "And you don't need any help getting up the stairs?" He asked to be sure.

"I'll be okay Jock." Kira replied tenderly. "Don't worry." Gently, she pressed her lips to his before standing slowly. Conner reached over and tenderly squeezed her fingers as she stood up.

"Okay," he replied. Kira gave him one more smile before heading up the stairs moments after Trent and Hayden had left.

"How's she doing?" Jiao questioned after a few moments. Conner sighed as he looked back over to Jiao and Ryder, who was sitting just a few feet away from her.

"She's recovering," he replied. "She's not all that pleased about getting hurt and needing the surgery, and especially with now having to take it easy. But like Hayden mentioned before, its better than what could've happened."

"I'd have to agree with what Hayden said." Ryder commented. "She's lucky to be alive... They all are."

"Well, speaking as one of the 'they', I will say surviving certainly didn't suck," Jiao commented.

"Glad to hear it." Conner smiled.

"Uh huh," Jiao replied as she finished working on one set of codes and moved onto another. The trio lapsed into silence after a while, leaving Jiao to her work.

"I'm going to go up and check on Kira," Conner stated after a while, finding it difficult not to be around her when she wasn't feeling well. "Do either of you guys need anything from the kitchen or something?" He asked.

"I'd like a water." Jiao commented.

"I'm good, thanks," Ryder replied. Conner nodded and stood up.

"Alright, I'll be right back," he commented as he left the basement. Jiao watched him leave. Once he was gone, she waited one more minute before spinning in her chair to look at Ryder.

"So, should I thank you for being so concerned about me not working on the computer system when I'm tired?" She smirked.

"Hmm... All depends." He grinned.

"On what?" She asked. Ryder's grin widened and he slowly stood up from his chair and leaned over her, making Jiao sit back in his chair.

"Depends on how you plan on thanking me," he teased as he leaned closer and kissed her. Jiao made a small groan and turned away from the kiss a moment later.

"Don't do that, any of the others could come down here at any moment," she chastised.

"We'll hear their footsteps." He grinned as his hand brushed across her chest. Jiao let out a shaky breath as her heart fluttered slightly at his touch.

"Not if we're otherwise distracted," she murmured.

"Do I distract you?" Ryder teased as he leaned forward again and kissed the side of her neck.

"Maybe." She murmured as her head dropped backwards, allowing him more access to her neck.

"Good," Ryder grinned against her neck as he continued kissing and sucking on her neck, both of his hands moving down to touch her chest.

"Ryder..." She whimpered after a moment.

"Yes?" Ryder asked, his hand lightly squeezing her breast.

"We're not at my house." She breathed after a moment.

"True," he replied, his mouth moving up to her ear. "And keeping that in mind is the only thing keeping me from not taking your close off," he teased before nibbling on her ear lobe.

"Tease." She choked out. "This is really unfair."

"That's what makes it so fun," he huskily chuckled.

"You suck." She moaned as he nipped at her neck.

"No, that's for later," he grinned before moving back up to her lips.

"Damn well better be." Came her retort. Ryder chuckled as he kissed her deeply. After a moment, he pulled away and grinned at her. As he made a move for her neck, he heard the sound of footsteps coming back down the stairs. Ryder quickly moved back away from her and resumed his spot in the chair he had been in earlier just as Conner walked back into the basement carrying two bottles of water.

"Here you go." The older ranger commented as he tossed a bottle to Jiao. Jiao caught the bottle as she forced her heart to stop jack hammering and her libido to go back to a dormant state after the sudden stop of Ryder's actions.

"Thanks," Jiao muttered, clearing her throat as she turned back towards the computer and took a long sip of water. Conner took his seat as he took a sip of his own bottle of water.

"How's Kira?" Ryder asked.

"Exhausted." Conner replied. "Napping for a few hours will defanlity make her feel better though."

"Well, that's good," Jiao commented.

"Uh huh." Came his distant reply.

"Are you okay?" Ryder asked, picking up on his tone.

"Yeah sure." Came the dismissive reply.

"Are you positive? Because it doesn't sound like you're okay," Ryder persisted.

"No..." The older ranger sighed. There was a brief pause before Conner turned and looked at Ryder. "I really don't want to discuss it though." He murmured. "And I think I'll leave Jiao to her work." Jiao and Ryder stared at Conner, both concerned and confused by his statement.

"Fair enough," Ryder finally nodded.

"Thanks." Giving them a half smile, Conner stood and exited the room. He moved up the stairs and into the kitchen to stop and toss his bottle down before moving up to the top level of the house. He made his way back to his room, where Kira had settled down for her nap. As he reached the door, he stopped and paused as he watched Kira sleep. His pillow had found its way into her arms, her face buried deep within it. He smiled softly and quietly made his way to his side of the bed and sat down. Gently, he reached over and brushed a piece of hair away from her face, causing Kira to stir.

"Conner?" She questioned groggily. Conner mentally kicked himself, feeling bad for waking her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," he whispered.

"S'ok." She murmured. "Why aren't you downstairs?"

"I figured I'd let Jiao work in peace," he stated as he stretched out beside her on the bed. "Besides, I'd much rather be here with you," he murmured.

"But I'm sleeping." Kira replied as she rolled slightly to look at him. "Can't exactly be much fun for you."

"On the contrary," Conner smiled, shifting closer to her. "I find watching you sleep to be pretty fun," he joked.

"You are so creepy." She giggled.

"I prefer to think of it as being so in love with you," Conner smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. "Now, go back to sleep," he lightly ordered.

"My own personal stalker, doubling as my boyfriend... How romantic." Kira commented sarcastically. Conner lightly kissed her forehead.

"If it's a problem, I could go back downstairs if you'd rather," he said, though he didn't exactly want to do that. Although, he would if it was what Kira wanted.

"It's okay." Came her response after a few moments. "You make a better pillow anyway." Conner grinned and gently held her closer as she settled her head on his chest.

"I'm glad I can be of service," he lovingly murmured before dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

"I like you being of service." Kira murmured around a yawn. Conner smiled and softly rubbed her back to coax her back into slumber.

"I like that you like me being of service," he lightly chuckled.

"Conner?" She questioned after a few moments.

"Yes, Kira?" Conner asked, rubbing small circles on her back.

"Stop talking and go to sleep." Conner smiled and kissed her head again.

"Whatever you say, Rockstar," he whispered.

The next few days moved past very slowly as Jiao plugged away at the computer system, and the others discussed different plans of actions. There had been a few tense conversations, and a fight between Conner and Hayden had broken out towards the end of the second full day. Thankfully, as the third day drew to a close, Jiao moved into the kitchen at a furious pace.

"Trent!" She yelled out. Trent had been in the living room when he heard her yell and moved into the kitchen.

"What, what's wrong?" He asked.

"I've done it!" She replied, excitement in her tone. "I've got your wife on the computer." Trent stared at her, his eyes wide as he took in her words.

"Wh…I…..I thought you were still working on the cracks in the system," he breathed out, beyond shocked and surprised.

"I managed to work through the final kinks a little while ago." She replied. She rolled her eyes at Trent's dumfounded expression. "Dude, are you going to just stand there and keep your wife waiting, or are you going to go downstairs and talk to her?" She commented.

"Thank you." He breathed before moving past her and sprinting down the stairs into the basement.

"You're welcome!" Jiao called back to him as he disappeared into the basement. Shaking her head, she moved into the living room to find Kira sprawled out on the couch, with Hayden sitting on the floor in front of her. The TV was on in the background, but they seemed to be having a conversation.

"What are you guys talking about?" Jiao commented as she sat down in the empty chair across from them. Hayden glanced up at Kira, who nodded slowly.

"We were discussing another potential outing..."

"Another outing…to where?" Jiao paused as it dawned on her. "What? Another shopping trip? Um….yeah, count me out on that one," Jiao stated with a shake of her head.

"We didn't get all the supplies we needed." Kira commented. "And I know that you don't want to go, so that's alright."

"I would think you'd be less inclined to go as well," Jiao commented as she looked over to Kira.

"There are certain things I need to purchase that I can't ask others to get on my behalf." Kira replied.

"Well…that is why man invented online shopping," Jiao shrugged. "Once things settle down I'm planning on replacing my living room TV through the lovely thing called Amazon."

"Sadly, not everything can be ordered on Amazon." The older ranger sighed. Jiao simply shrugged.

"I highly doubt Conner will let you out." She pointed out to Kira. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Conner is neither my parent nor my jailor, so he can't exactly keep me from going out," Kira replied.

"What's going on?" Conner asked as he moved into the room carrying his phone. "I heard my name."

"Just discussing the plans." Kira quickly piped up.

"Oh?" Conner asked, moving closer to the couch.

"Mmmhmm." She smiled. "What's with the phone?"

"Oh, figured I'd order us in some food... It's been a long few days and I don't think any of us really want to cook." He smiled back at her.

"Sounds like a good plan," Kira nodded, knowing she had no plans on cooking herself.

"Anything in particular you guys want?" He asked, directing his question to the entire group.

"I'm good with whatever." Hayden replied, prompting Jiao to roll her eyes.

"Hayden, you'd eat shit on a stick if it smelled and tasted good."

"I don't recall asking for you to provide the color commentary," Hayden spat out.

"Stop it." Kira commented with a sigh. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she commented. "Anyway, I'm not all that hungry, so no dinner for me thanks."

"I'm fine with whatever." Kira shrugged.

"You guys are a real big help," Conner chuckled.

"Italian then." Came Kira's reply.

"That works," Conner nodded. "Where are Trent and Ryder?" He asked.

"Trent's downstairs and Ryder's….who knows where," Hayden commented.

"Don't interrupt Trent." Kira commented. "I think he'll be fine with Italian." Conner paused as he processed what Trent could be doing downstairs. He looked over at Jiao.

"You contacted Aquitar?" He asked, surprised it happened so soon. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Doubting my skills? I'm hurt," she joked.

"Just wasn't expecting it for a few days." He replied with a shrug. "I know you're good at computers." Jiao shrugged.

"I know how important this was to Trent, figured I'd zip through the work as much as I could. The system isn't perfect yet, but it was secure enough for any transmissions to be secret and hack-proof."

"That's good to hear." He smiled at her. "Thank you for doing it."

"It wasn't a big deal," Jiao shrugged, brushing off the praise. Smiling, Conner stood.

"Alright, I'll take a look outside for Ryder and then order." 

"Okay," Kira nodded. He departed the room and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"You almost got caught with that one Kira." Hayden commented.

"Hush." Came her reply as she ruffled Hayden's hair lightly. Hayden made a face and ducked his head away from her hand.

"Do not ruffle the hair," he commented.

"My god." Came Trent's voice from the doorway between the kitchen and living room. "It's like someone cloned Conner, but made him like 8 years younger!"

"Hey, what are you doing back up here?" Kira asked, surprised to see him done so soon. Trent stuffed his hands into his pockets and leaned against the doorframe.

"The connection started to get fuzzy, so we ended the transmission," Trent replied. He was a little disappointed to only have had about ten or so minutes, but he was still happy to have had even one minute. Not only had he talked to his wife, but she had had their daughter perched there on her lap the whole time and Trent was able to talk to her as well.

"Sorry," Jiao frowned, "Do you want me to run back down there and reconnect?" She offered. Trent gave a small smile and shook his head.

"No, that's okay," he replied. "To be honest I don't think I could talk another minute before being reduced to a pile of emotional goo," he chuckled lightly. "Another time though, would that be okay?" He asked. Jiao shrugged.

"I don't mind playing intergalactic telephone operator," she replied.

"Thank you." He replied sincerely.

"No biggie," Jiao replied with another shrug.

"How's Kendra doing?" Kira asked.

"She's…okay," Trent replied. "I did get an earful for making her worry this long, especially after….you know, Tommy," Trent stated. "So, the first minute or two was spent with her giving me a verbal ass kicking," he wryly chuckled.

"Sounds like things haven't changed." Kira chuckled. Trent shrugged sheepishly.

"Elise's grown a little bit," he commented, his tone verging slightly towards sadness at the fact that he had missed so much time with his baby daughter.

"Hey... They'll be back soon." Kira commented softly. "As soon as we defeat this psycho." Trent sighed and nodded.

"Yeah," he replied. "It's just a little hard. Kendra said Elise's is starting to get the hang of walking," he stated. "She's not completely there yet," he chuckled, "but she can stand up for a while if she's holding onto something or someone. Kendra actually showed me," he smiled.

"That's cute." Hayden commented. Trent nodded.

"It was just before the connection started to fade out a bit and there was some static when she got tired of standing," he noted sadly. "But, it was definitely better than not talking or seeing them," he added, remaining positive. Slowly, Kira pushed herself off the couch and moved towards Trent. She pointed towards the kitchen and slipped her arm into his, knowing that her friend needed her. Trent nodded and backed up into the kitchen. Conner returned into the living room a short while later, his brow furrowing when he didn't see Kira on the couch.

"Where'd Kira go?" He questioned.

"She's in there with Trent," Jiao commented, jutting her thumb towards the kitchen. "Did you find Ryder?" She asked, forcing her tone to remain neutral.

"Yeah, he was outside working on his car." The older ranger nodded.

"Oh," Jiao replied.

"Anyway, I'm gonna order Italian for us." Conner stated as he moved into the kitchen.

"Sounds good," Hayden commented. Conner nodded and disappeared into the kitchen to find Kira and Trent sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hey." He commented softly as he moved to the counter and leaned against it. "Everything okay?" He worriedly asked. Trent slowly nodded.

"Yeah, just recovering from talking to Kendra and Elise," he replied. Giving him a soft smile, Kira squeezed his shoulder affectionately as Conner moved and sat across from them.

"How are they?" He questioned.

"They're okay," Trent replied, "making the best out of the crazy situation. Kendra said it definitely helps having my dad, Elsa, and the others there with them. She said Kim's still a wreck though," he sadly noted.

"How are the girls taking it?" Conner asked softly. Part of him didn't want an answer, knowing how many painful memories it would bring up for everyone. Trent sighed.

"I'm not sure. As far as Kendra elaborated, it sounds like the girls don't really understand what's going on. As far as they see it, their mother is just really sad about something."

"Poor Kim..." Conner trailed off. Kira nodded her agreement.

"Poor Kim indeed." Trent sighed after a moment. He looked up at Conner and did his best to smile and change the subject. "Elise is starting to learn to walk," he commented, sharing with Conner what he had told the others before.

"Really?" He asked, his face lighting up with a smile. "That's amazing." Trent's smile grew into a grin of fatherly pride as he nodded.

"Kendra must be over the moon with that." Conner chuckled.

"Right now she can stand while holding onto someone or something, but it's only a little while before she's managing to explore on her own," Trent chuckled.

"Look out when that happens." Kira giggled.

"Well it sounds like the areas over in Aquitar are child safe, since they've got every one else's kids, not to mention the Aquitarian's kids, all over the place," Trent commented.

"Well she is your kid Trent." Conner chuckled. "She's bound to get into some form of mischief."

"Hey," Trent jokingly protested. "I resent that comment," he laughed.

"More like resemble." Kira chimed in with a grin.

"Whatever," Trent replied, rolling his eyes.

"You love us." She smiled, giving him a half hug. Trent laughed and hugged her back.

"Yeah, yeah," he replied.

"So what are your thoughts on Italian?" Conner asked.

"Sounds like a good plan," Trent nodded. Smiling, Conner picked up his phone again and dialed the number for a local Italian place. The ordering only took a few moments before he ended the call.

"It'll probably be an hour or so." He stated.

"Great," Kira replied.

The hour passed slowly for the group of friends as they moved back into the living room and began to regale the two new rangers with stories from their shared past. Just as the three senior rangers were sharing the story of the final battle with Mesogog, there was a knock on the door.

"That must be the food." Conner commented as he stood and moved towards the door. "Someone should go get Ryder from around back," Conner commented as he fished his wallet out of his pocket and opened the front door.

"I'll go." Kira commented as she moved off the couch. "I could use the stretch." Conner was busy paying for the order, with Trent joining him by the door to help with the bags, as Kira headed out the back door of the house. She returned a few moments later, moving slowly, Ryder in tow. Once Kira and Ryder were back in the house, everyone converged in the kitchen to serve themselves. The group returned to the living room, choosing to eat their food with the television turned on. The group slipped into silence once they had finished their food. A few hours later, Hayden yawned loudly.

"I think I'm gonna head home." He murmured.

"Alright," Conner replied from his spot beside Kira on the couch. Jiao and Ryder sneaked a brief but pointed look before Ryder sat up straight as he stretched his arms over his head.

"I think I'm going to head out too," he commented as he stood up.

"Likewise." Jiao agreed after a brief pause. "My cat needs to be fed." She reached over and picked up her messenger bag from beside the couch as she rose to her feet.

"Okay," Kira nodded.

"Have a good night guys." Conner smiled as he slipped his arm around Kira's shoulders.

"Night," Hayden yawned again as the three younger rangers headed out the door.

"I think they've got the right idea." Kira commented as she yawned and snuggled closer to Conner. "I'm gonna head to bed." Conner lightly rubbed her shoulder.

"Want some company?" He asked.

"I'll be fine." She smiled, kissing his cheek softly. "You and Trent should watch a movie, or go out to the bar and see if there's a game on."

"Okay," Conner replied, leaning closer and giving her a gentle peck on the lips.

"I see the wife is giving us permission to go out and drink." Trent teased, a grin on his face.

"Looks like it," Conner chuckled. Kira rolled her eyes.

"You guys are dorks," she commented as she stood up.

"You love us." Trent laughed.

"Sometimes, I'm not so sure," she grinned as she headed towards the stairs.

"Have fun you two." She commented before heading upstairs. "Try not to get too drunk."

"I'll make sure your hubby behaves himself," Trent laughed.

"That goes for you too!" Kira called from the top of the stairs. Conner and Trent chuckled as the sound of Conner's bedroom door opening and closing came from upstairs.

"Shall we head out then?" Trent questioned as he stood. Conner nodded.

"Alright," he replied. Following suit, Conner stood and they both moved towards the door. They walked out, Conner locking the door as Trent walked off the porch towards Conner's car.

"So which bar should we go to?" Conner questioned as they climbed into his car a moment later. Trent shrugged.

"You know the area better than I do," he commented. "I guess we should stick close by though, you know…in case we drink a bit too much and can't drive back home."

"Didn't realize you wanted to get me hammered Mr. Mercer," Conner teased. Trent shrugged.

"Hey, you deserve a night of unwinding," he commented.

"There's a local pub a few streets over.. It's pretty decent." Conner smiled. "Thanks." Trent nodded.

"No problem, man," he replied.

As they spent a few hours relaxing at the bar, enjoying more than their fair share of beer, Kira lay sleeping in Conner's bed. She peacefully slept, clutching Conner's pillow close to her, blissfully unaware of the figure standing above her. By her side of the bed, the green ranger stood sneering down at the unsuspecting yellow ranger through his helmet, with the aide of the moonlight peeking through Conner's bedroom window. His hand twitched towards the dagger sheathed at his side. As he moved to pulled the dagger out and finish what he had started, his head turned slightly, his gaze falling on a picture sitting on the nightstand beside the bed.

It was a framed picture that had to be at least ten years old. Kira and Conner were dressed in matching cap and gowns, rolled up diplomas in their hands. It took him a few moments to slow resheath his dagger, the photo having some type of affect on him. Although the picture seemed to have some type of affect on him, he did not move for near three hours. The sound of the front door unlocking, startled him. Startled, he slowly crept from the room and paused in the hallway as both men slowly moved up the stairs, drunk chatting fairly loudly.

Conner gripped the handrail on the stairs as he stumbled slightly, drunkenly chuckling.

"Shh!" Trent laughed. "Don't wake up your wife," he warned with a drunken giggle.

"She's not my wife yet." Conner snickered as they reached the top of the stairs. Stopping, Trent reached over and flicked on the light to see the Green Ranger standing in front of them.

"Shit!" Trent exclaimed, his foggy mind clearing slightly from surprise.

"Fools." The evil ranger snarled as he moved towards them at a quick pace.

"What did you do to Kira?" Conner growled as he and Trent moved away from the stairs out of precaution, his mind jumping quickly to that conclusion at seeing the green ranger not only in the house but on the second floor.

"Nothing nearly as terrible as I'm going to do to you two." Came the vicious reply before he lunged at them. The green ranger crashed into Conner and the two tumbled onto the floor.

"Conner!" Trent exclaimed, moving to help his friend.

"Get Kira and get out of here!" He shouted as he and the green ranger began to struggle. Trent nodded and quickly stumbled towards Conner's bedroom, going as fast as his drunken legs could carry him. As he cleared the doorway, he noticed Kira sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes.

"Trent?" She questioned, her voice laced heavily with sleep. "Why are you two making so much noise?" Trent quickly moved closer to the bed.

"I gotta get you out of here, the green ranger got into the house again," he urgently explained.

"What?" She breathed, throwing the covers back. "Where's Conner?"

"In the hallway, with the green ranger," Trent replied. "Come on, I need to get you somewhere safe," he said as he took hold of Kira's arm.

"Not without Conner." She replied as he led her out of the room. As they moved back into the hallway, they noticed the Green Ranger standing in front of Conner, who'd gotten himself stuck between the evil villain and the staircase. Laughing, the ranger lifted his leg and delivered a kick to the centre of Conner's chest, sending him flying backwards, down the stairs. "Conner!" Kira shrieked as she watched Conner fall. Trent gasped loudly as the evil ranger turned and faced them.

"You're next." He snarled as he moved towards them. Trent glared at the green ranger and quickly pushed Kira behind him.

"Kira, get out of here, I'll keep this asshole busy," Trent said, forcing himself to focus on making sure another friend wasn't injured by the green ranger, instead of getting distracted by his concern and fear for Conner.

"You can't take him." She murmured, her body shaking with fear.

"Just get out of here," he lowly ordered. "Don't worry about me."

"I'd listen to what he says sweetheart." The Green Ranger stated. "I'll even give you a free pass to go see how your boyfriend's doing." Came the conclusion, the ranger snarling as he refered to Conner as her boyfriend.

"Don't call me sweetheart, you bastard," Kira venomously spat out.

"Fine your majesty." He commented lowly. "I'd take that offer to go check on him before I change my mind."

"Back away from the stairs first," Trent ordered, afraid he would hurt Kira the moment she went to descend the steps to check on Conner.

"Fine." The ranger commented as he backed away from the stairs. "I'm not going to hurt her." Trent kept his eyes on the green ranger as he let Kira step out from behind him to get to the stairs. She hurried past them both and descended the stairs rapidly, kneeling next to Conner's unconscious form.

"Oh god," Kira softly sobbed as her heart filled with dread. "Conner? Conner, wake up, please?" She begged. She carefully ran her hand over his face and noticed that his chest was moving up and down slightly. She blew out a small relieved sigh to know he was still breathing. "Conner, please wake up," she softly murmured, carefully lifting his head and placing it on her knees. A loud crash from upstairs diverted her attention momentarily, her arms tightening around Conner's torso. She looked over her shoulder up and glanced up the stairs to see the green ranger and Trent, who was now in his ranger attire, fighting. After a moment there was another loud crash and then silence. After a brief interlude, the green ranger slowly moved down the steps, his gaze focused on Kira. Kira gasped and tightened her grasp around Conner. "Trent!" She hollered, afraid of what the silence could mean when it came to her closest friend. "What did you do to Trent?" Kira questioned, her voice shaking with fear.

"I wouldn't worry about him, if I were you," The green ranger sneered. "I think you should be more concerned for yourself."

"Wha..." She breathed, clutching Conner's unconscious body tighter. "You said you wouldn't hurt me." The green ranger simply shrugged as he unsheathed his dagger.

"I guess I changed my mind," he replied.

"Please." Kira begged, tears slipping down her cheeks as he moved closer. As he stepped closer, something triggered in his memory, forcing him to stop. His memory was drawn back to one of the first couples he had disposed of in the early days. He had killed the husband first in the middle of the night, ambushing him as he had come downstairs to investigate a strange noise. The man's foolish wife had come down a few moments later and clutched her husband's body, begging for her life before he had murdered her as well. She was so distraught and hysterical; she barely had time to react as he wiped her husband's blood off his dagger before plunging it into her. The memory struck a cord in him, sending him stumbling backwards from Kira, holding his head. Kira watched as he dropped his dagger and clutched the nearby wall with one hand, his breath coming out in small pants. Seeing her chance in his mysterious and pained distraction, Kira opened her mouth. She moved her hands to cover Conner's ears as she took a deep breath and unleashed her powerful sonic scream on the green ranger. He let out a strangled cry as he fell to the side.

"You bitch!" He choked out as he clutched his head in pain.

"Get out of my house!" She screamed at him. The green ranger slowly crawled up to his feet, grabbing his dagger as he stumbled upright.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you," he venomously hissed before disappearing.

"Oh god." She choked out after a few moments. "Trent?" She desperately called out, afraid that he hadn't made any sound throughout her short confrontation with the green ranger. "Trent!" She shrieked again when he didn't answer.

"I'm okay." Came the murmured reply after a brief pause.

"Oh god," Kira shakingly breathed out, as some of the fearful tightness in her chest dissipated. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I've been better." Slowly, he crawled into view. "I think I need to throw up." He took a deep breath and swallowed the nausea. "How's Conner?"

"He's still out cold," Kira fretted.

"He'll be okay." Trent promised. "Should we call the others?"

"I'll do it," Kira replied, seeing Trent was still out of sorts. She carefully laid Conner's head down and stood up. She grabbed a throw pillow off of the living room couch and ducked back down to gently lift Conner's head up enough to slide the pillow under his head before standing back up to get the phone. She dialed Hayden's cell phone number first, her hands shaking. After a few rings she heard the line pick up.

"Hullo?" Came Hayden's murmured groggy greeting.

"Hayden?" She questioned, her voice breaking slightly.

"Kira?" Hayden questioned, his voice still heavy with sleep. "It's three in the morning…..what is it?"

"The green ranger..." She whimpered. "He got into the house."

"What?" Hayden exclaimed, now fully awake.

"He came in while I was sleeping and the guys were out." She murmured, trying to keep herself from having a panic attack.

"Are you okay?" Hayden worriedly asked.

"I'm fine." Came her reply as she tried to focus on her breathing.

"And the guys?" He questioned after a moment.

"Conner's unconscious and Trent's hurt," she said, her voice quivering.

"Oh god." Hayden replied. "Have you called 911?"

"No," Kira replied.

"I'm on my way over." Came his response. "Call 911 before I get there okay?"

"Okay," Kira meekly replied. "I….call Jiao and Ryder on your way," she requested.

"Of course I will." Hayden affirmed. "Kira, take a deep breath and calm down. We'll be there soon."

"Thanks," Kira quietly breathed out.

"Anytime, now call 911."

"Okay," Kira replied. "Bye," she added before ending the call and going to call 911. The conversation with the 911 operator was a blur to Kira as she gave the information required. She had barely hung up the phone when there was a loud knock on the front door and Hayden moved into the house.

"Kira?" Hayden called out as he walked in.

"Here." She commented, walking out of the kitchen and kneeling next to Conner again.

"Oh man," Hayden commented as he saw Conner on the floor, and Trent at the top of the stairs.

"They went out." Kira commented as she stroked Conner's face gently. "To the bar and got really drunk from what I can tell... They came home and that evil bastard ambushed them in the hallway." The words poured out of her mouth, her breathing coming in short pants as she began to break into a panic attack.

"Hey, hey," Hayden softly commented as he kneeled down beside her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay. He's gone, just breathe." She nodded as tears began to streak down her cheeks.

"He said he was going to enjoy killing me." She whispered. Hayden pulled her into his arms and held her close.

"You're going to be okay," he murmured. Her hands gripped his arm tightly as she cried against his neck. He held her tightly for a few moments, trying to calm her down, before the doorbell rang. "The paramedics are here... Want me to let them in?" He asked softly.

"Okay," Kira nodded as she felt Hayden's arms move off of her. He moved to the door and let the EMS team in, explaining things as best he could, knowing that Kira wasn't in any shape to. One of the paramedics moved into the house and went up the stairs to tend to Trent while the other moved over to Conner. One of the medics, a female, knelt next to Conner.

"Have they been drinking tonight?" She questioned, smelling alcohol wafting through the air.

"They were out at a bar for a couple of hours," Kira admitted.

"Thank you." The female paramedic replies as she set to work on Conner. After a few moments, she glanced up at her coworker who was writing down details of Conner's condition. "When we get back in the bus, alert the hospital that they won't be able to administer any pain medication for these two."

"Got it," the other medic nodded.

"What?" Kira questioned, pushing away from Hayden who had resumed his spot beside her. "Why the hell not?" She demanded.

"Because they have alcohol in their systems," the female medic calmly explained.

"So?" Kira shot back.

"We can't give them any pain medications with the alcohol," the medic replied. "It can have an adverse reaction and cause some serious damage to your friends."

"Oh..." She murmured in reply. "Can you tell the hospital to page Dr. Burak to meet us there?" Kira questioned. "I'm one of her patients and I'd prefer to have her working on them."

"I'll see what I can do," the medic nodded.

"Thank you." She murmured, dropping her head back to Hayden's shoulder. The paramedics wrapped up their work a few moments later and loaded Conner onto a backboard, right as the one medic called for assistance upstairs to bring Trent down. Hayden helped Kira up to her feet and the two stood back to let the paramedics get the guys out of the house.

"We're not going to have room in the bus for either of you." The one medic commented with remorse in his voice.

"I have a car, I can drive her," Hayden chimed in. Nodding, the medic turned and helped his coworkers. Kira leaned against him.

"Thank you Hayden." She murmured softly.

"No problem," Hayden nodded. Kira slowly pulled away from him and moved up the stairs to grab a hoodie. Hayden watched the paramedics leave with Trent and Conner. He heard them load the guys into the ambulance outside, moments before the sirens blared as they drove to the hospital. Moments later, the door opened as Jiao and Ryder rushed in.

"Oh my god, is everyone okay?" Jiao worriedly asked as the two moved into the house.

"I have no idea how the guys are, the paramedics didn't say anything... Kira's a mess though." Hayden replied solemnly. Jiao ran a hand through her messy hair as her shoulders tensed.

"How the fuck did that bastard get in?" She lowly growled. "I thought the security system was fine," she added, her voice taking a self chastising tone.

"We don't know." Hayden shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." Kira walked down the stairs in her sweatshirt before Jiao had a chance to further voice her frustration.

"Are you okay?" Ryder questioned, moving towards her. Kira solemnly shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself.

"It's gonna be okay Kir." Hayden murmured as he moved and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. Kira sighed and leaned against Hayden. He looked over her head to the other two. "We're going to go to the hospital," he informed them.

"You guys go ahead," Jiao sighed. "I'm going to stay here, go through the system and figure out how that fucker got in."

"I'll stay with Jiao." Ryder commented. "Just in case the weirdo shows again." Hayden nodded.

"Alright," he replied. "We'll call you guys once we hear anything on how the guys are doing," he commented as he led Kira towards the door.

"Alright." They agreed as the door closed behind Hayden. Jiao sighed, clenching her fists in frustration before wordlessly heading towards the basement. Frowning, Ryder locked the front door behind Kira and Hayden before following her down.


	24. Revelations

As Hayden drove towards the hospital, Kira sat in the passenger seat, doing her best not to break down again. The drive seemed to drag on for Kira, and finally after an agonizing fifteen minutes, Hayden pulled into the ER parking lot.

"We're here." He murmured softly.

"Thank god," Kira breathed out. They quickly unbuckled the seatbelts before climbing out of the car. Hayden moved beside Kira and slipped his arm around her shoulders again. They moved into the hospital and headed towards the front desk.

"Excuse me." Hayden commented as they came to a stop. "We're looking for Conner McKnight and Trent Mercer." The nurse behind the desk looked up at them and nodded before typing the names into her computer to locate them.

"Looks like they've both been cleared from the ER." She commented. "And have been given a room together on the 9th floor, ICU."

"Intensive care?" Kira asked, her face white.

"Looks like a Dr. Burak is their attending." The woman said. "She'd be able to tell you more." Kira blew out a shaky breath, trembling slightly beside Hayden.

"Come on," Hayden said, guiding her towards the elevators.

"I don't want to be here." She whimpered as they moved into the elevator and Hayden pressed the button for the 9th floor.

"It's going to be okay, Kira," Hayden stated as the elevator doors closed. The ride was quiet and after a moment, the doors pulled open. Hayden led Kira out of the elevator and the two made their way into the ICU. Just as they stopped at the nurses' station, they were greeted by Dr. Burak moving quickly towards them.

"Are they okay?" Kira insistently spoke before Dr. Burak had a chance to even open her mouth.

"Trent's got a concussion and a few deep cuts." She replied.

"And Connor?" Kira asked, her voice shaking.

"We're not sure." Came the honest reply. "But, I've got him scheduled for an MRI right now." Slowly, Dr. Burak placed her hand on Kira's shoulder. "I'm going to figure this out Kira... And when I come back, I think you need to tell me what exactly has been happening."

"What do you mean?" Hayden spoke up.

"I'd like to think that these injuries I've seen over the past few visits aren't because of a little horsing around." Dr. Burak replied cryptically. "I understand that with you, you were stuck in the mall, but that doesn't explain what has happened tonight."

"T…There was a burglar," Kira blurted out. "A burglar got in while the guys were out. They came home, and he surprised them."

"Uh huh... Kira, I'll be frank with you." She commented quietly. "I'm not stupid, and I have a fairly good idea of what's happening... I know you can't be specific, but please don't treat me like I don't know what's happening."

"Nothing's happening," Hayden insisted. "A burglar got in while she was sleeping, just like she said."

"Sure." Dr. Burak sighed. Kira bit the inside of her cheek for a moment.

"Sorry." She murmured quietly, feeling bad for treating the doctor like a fool. She took a deep breath. "Can we see Trent and Conner?" She asked, changing the subject to what really mattered to her.

"Trent yes." She agreed. "When we're finished the scans and tests for Conner, I'll bring him into the room where Trent is now."

"Thank you," Kira murmured, trying not to let her fear and worry over Conner's condition push her into a breakdown.

"What room?" Hayden questioned as he squeezed Kira's shoulder softly.

"915," The doctor replied, tilting her head towards a room down the hall.

"Thanks." Kira murmured as Hayden steered her in the direction that Dr. Burak had indicated. They soon found the room and walked in. Trent was reclined slightly in the bed, the TV in the room playing quietly. "Trent?" Kira murmured as they moved closer to his bed. Trent blinked and shifted his gaze to Kira and Hayden. His heart clenched slightly at Kira's pale and frightened expression. He did his best to smile to give her some form of ease.

"Hey," he murmured.

"Hi." She murmured before moving closer to the bed. She sat down on a chair situated by his bed and carefully reached over to hold his hand. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm alright." He nodded. "Dr. Burak said that the wounds weren't that deep, so just a few stitches." Kira slowly nodded, swallowing down the urge to cry from all that had happened that night.

"What happened?" Hayden asked as he pulled a chair up beside Kira. Trent sighed.

"The green ranger surprised Conner and me when we came home. He was in the hallway outside Conner's room. We were worried he'd done something to you," he commented, casting a glance at Kira for a moment. "Conner told me to get Kira out of the house while he distracted the freak. By the time I got Kira out of her room, the green ranger kicked Conner down the stairs."

"What?" Hayden breathed as he saw Kira bit her lip and close her eyes, trying not to cry. Trent gave a small nod.

"Yeah... In a strange turn of events, he let Kira go check on Conner and then came after me... Bastard stabbed me in the arm a couple times and knocked me around."

"Oh god…" Kira whimpered. She had been so busy trying to rouse Conner; she didn't know the full extent of what Trent had gone through.

"Hey... It's okay." Trent commented softly as he reached over and squeezed her hand. "I'm fine." Kira bit her lip and simply looked down. The trio sat in an uncomfortable silence for nearly an hour before the door to the room swung open and Dr. Burak moved into the room. Kira's head snapped up towards the doctor, eager to hear any news she might have on Conner. The doctor stopped at the edge of Trent's bed and reviewed his chart for a moment before glancing at them.

"They'll be bringing Conner back down in a few minutes." She commented as she wrote something on his chart and set it back down. "Besides a concussion and extensive bruising on his chest and back, he's fine." Kira's chest heaved as she blew out a breath she didn't even know she had been holding.

"Really?" She asked, her voice cracking.

"Really." Dr. Burak smiled. "As with Trent, I'm keeping them both overnight for observation." Trent groaned at that, not looking forward to spending the night in the hospital. Kira gave Trent a sideways glance, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards slightly in a small wry smile.

"Now you know how I felt," she quipped.

"Hush." He chuckled. Dr. Burak gave them both a smile. Kira looked up at Dr. Burak.

"Can I stay here with them?" She asked.

"Of course." She nodded. "Provided that we have the discussion we talked about." Kira frowned slightly, feeling like her comment verged slightly on blackmail. Before Kira could respond, Dr. Burak glanced at Hayden. "Will you need a cot to stay here as well?" She asked.

"That'd probably be a good idea." Hayden replied with a nod. Dr. Burak nodded.

"Alright then, I'll tell the nurse outside to put in a request for two cots and two sets of pillows and blankets," she confirmed. There was a brief pause before she cleared her throat. "I'm going to come out and say this, because I feel that given everything I've treated all of you for in the past month, it's accurate." She stopped and looked at them. "You're power rangers, aren't you?" There was a moment of silence as Hayden, Trent and Kira shared a surprised look. The silence was finally broken by Hayden giving a small chuckle.

"What?" He incredulously asked, as if the doctor was out of her mind. "Where in the world would you get that?" He asked.

"Well, let's see. Kira came in around a month ago with fairly extensive injuries, most of which had pieces of concrete and concrete dust in them." She replied, holding her fingers out as she counted. "Then, Kira, you," She continued pointing at Hayden. "And the other girl came in after the mall explosion. And now, we have Mr. McKnight and Mr. Mercer here. Judging by the color patterns you all seem to wear, and the level of injury and incident, either you're all incredibly stupid and accident prone, or your power rangers."

"We're just victims of unfortunate incidents," Trent stated. "With all the attacks going on in the city, we're just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"That's all a little too convenient, don't you think?" Dr. Bruak replied. She sighed. "Look, if you're worried about me telling someone, I can guarantee that's not going to happen. But, if things like this are going to keep happening to you, I need to know." The three were quiet. "I can help you," Dr. Burak pressed on. "Would you rather random doctors going in blind when it comes to treating any other injuries any of you sustain in the future? Or someone here who can help you, and keep other doctors or staff from asking too many questions regarding your frequent visits to the emergency room?"

"She's right." Kira murmured after a few moments.

"Kira," Trent gently warned, "maybe we should talk to Conner first," he lowly whispered to her.

"No Trent." She shook her head and sighed. "Dr. Burak you're right... We are the power rangers."

"Kira." Trent hissed angrily. Kira waved him off.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but we couldn't..." Dr. Burak slowly nodded.

"I understand. And thank you for being honest with me. Treating you all now, and in the future, will be a lot easier now that I know the truth."

"You can't tell anyone," Hayden stated. Dr. Burak shook her head.

"I said I wouldn't," she replied. "Consider it...part of doctor/patient confidentiality. I literally cannot tell anyone what you've just told me."

"Thank you." Kira breathed softly. Dr. Burak nodded.

"You're welcome," she replied. Glancing down, she noticed the time. "The orderlies should be bringing Conner back any minute... I'll be back shortly to check up on him... And thank you for sharing your secret with me." Kira nodded. Dr. Burak turned around and left the room.

"What the hell Kira?" Trent demanded after the doctor had left the room. Kira glanced at Trent and sighed.

"She was right, Trent. If things like this are going to keep on happening, it's better to have a doctor we can trust who knows our secret."

"So you figured that you'd just make the general consensus for everyone then, not even bothering to consider how they might feel?" He questioned. Kira sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Trent, I really don't want to get into this right now," she requested, not needing any added stress.

"Fine." He snapped as he glared at her. Kira sighed again and looked away just as a pair of orderlies wheeled Conner into the room. She stood and glanced over as they brought his bed to a stop and began rehooking up the machines. The busy orderlies blocked Conner from Kira's view so she couldn't see if he was awake or not, or get an idea of how he was fairing. As they moved away, she let out a sigh of relief to see Conner's eyes open as he watched the orderlies work. After a few moments, the orderlies finished working and left the room.

"Conner?" She questioned, moving closer to his bed. Conner blinked and slowly turned his head to look at her.

"Kira," he breathed, his face breaking out into a small relieved smile at seeing she was okay. Kira let out a cross between a happy sigh and a cry before sitting on his bed and dropping her head to his abdomen, tears slipping down her cheeks again. Conner moved his hands down to her back and shoulders and rubbed them softly. "It's okay Kir... I'm here." He murmured.

"I was so worried," Kira sobbed out, her voice muffled by his blanket and hospital gown.

"It's okay." He replied, casting a glance over at Trent. "You okay?"

"I'll live," Trent sighed.

"What's wrong?" Conner questioned as he continued to stroke Kira's back lovingly. Trent sighed again.

"Kira outed us to Dr. Burak," he replied.

"...Pardon?" Conner questioned, hoping that he hadn't heard his friend right. Kira sighed and sat up.

"She already suspected we were rangers. She was sure of it, no matter how much we denied it. I just confirmed it," Kira justified.

"...Why." He questioned, trying to keep his disappointment and anger in check.

"Because she made a really good point…..if we're going to keep getting hurt and keep showing up here, we need a doctor who knows on our side, helping us out and keeping other doctors who we might not trust as much, from finding out." Sighing, Conner pinched the bridge of his nose, in a similar way that Kira had done a short time before. "Are you mad at me?" Kira fearfully asked.

"I don't know." Came his honest reply. Kira looked down.

"I did what I felt was the right thing to do," Kira replied. "It's not like Dr. Burak had no idea and I just told her out of the blue. She flat out asked us if we were the power rangers, with no hinting or clues from any of us." When she was met with silence she nodded. "Right... If you'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna go home." She stated in a very small voice.

"Kira…" Hayden said, speaking up for the very first time since Dr. Burak had left. "You should stay." Standing, she shook her head.

"No... I think it's best if I leave." Hayden sighed.

"Fine, I'll drive you," he stated. "I mean, I drove you here anyway, so I'll take you home."

"Okay." Came the reply before she turned and moved to the door. Stopping, she turned back around. "See you at home." Kira stated quietly. Trent and Conner were quiet as they watched her leave the room.

"Do you guys want me to come back?" Hayden asked. "Or just call when they release you?"

"We'll call," Trent replied.

"Alright." Giving them a half wave, Hayden walked out of the room, following Kira. Hayden found Kira leaning against the wall right outside the room, silent tears running down her face.

"Hey." He murmured carefully as he stood next to her. "You don't have to go home."

"Well, I'd rather not stay in there with those two giving me angry looks. So, home is the only alternative," she replied.

"I think it's just gonna take some time for them to grasp the idea that someone knows." Hayden commented.

"Fine," Kira huffed, wiping at her cheeks, "and while they're taking the time they need to grasp it, I'll go home and sleep in my comfortable bed," she stated.

"Sounds like a good plan." Smiling, Hayden slipped his arm around her shoulders. He led her away from the room, stopping briefing at the front desk to cancel Dr. Burak's request for cots before heading towards the elevators. It wasn't long before they arrived at Hayden's car again and they both slipped into the vehicle. The ride back to the house was very quiet, only the radio playing lightly in the background. Twenty minutes later, Hayden was pulling into the driveway outside Ethan's house.

"You head in, I'll be there momentarily." Hayden commented as she gave him a questioning look as to why he hadn't moved yet. "I need to call my mom and tell her I won't be home for a while."

"Alright," Kira replied before unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car. She shuffled up the driveway and unlocked the front door before moving into the house.

"Hello?" Ryder called as he moved out of the kitchen and stood upon seeing Kira standing there. "You're back." Kira nodded.

"Yeah," she replied.

"How are Conner and Trent?" Ryder asked.

"Fine." She replied.

"That's good," Ryder nodded.

"Uh huh." Kira commented, biting her lip. "Um, it's been a long night…." She murmured. "So, I'm just going to go upstairs and go back to sleep," she stated. Ryder nodded again.

"Of course," he replied. Just as she moved to the base of the stairs, Hayden walked into the house.

"Hey," Hayden commented as he saw Ryder.

"Hey." Ryder commented in response as they watched Kira move up the stairs. Once Kira disappeared up the stairs and they all heard a bedroom door open and closing, Ryder looked over at Hayden. "Is she okay?" He asked.

"I think saying no would be a massive understatement." Hayden replied.

"Is something wrong with Conner and Trent?" Ryder asked.

"Trent was stabbed by the green ranger and has a concussion." Hayden commented as he moved into the living room and flopped down on the couch. "Conner, surprisingly, faired much better given that he fell down a flight of stairs... Just some extensive bruising on his chest and back."

"Wow," Ryder commented.

"And as for why Kira's so upset…..well, the guys weren't too pleased that the doctor that treated Kira before, and whose in charge of the guys now…kind of now knows about…us," Hayden added.

"...Someone else knows our secret?" Ryder questioned. Hayden sighed and nodded.

"Dr. Burak already suspected it…..all the stuff that's happened, injuries….no matter how much we tried to deny it, she was all but certain. And then Kira confirmed her suspicions, and the 'all but' part of her certainty disappeared."

"And why were the guys so mad?" He questioned.

"Trent was mad that Kira went ahead and told the doctor without thinking what anyone else thought. As for Conner, I don't know why he was mad exactly. He got really quiet after Kira told him."

"It just sounds like a lack of communication." Ryder shrugged. Hayden shrugged.

Later that day, just shortly before dinner, Hayden, Trent and Conner walked back into the house. Jiao and Ryder sat in the living room, watching TV and eating some of the leftover Italian.

"Hey," Ryder commented. "Welcome back," he said, giving Conner and Trent a smile.

"Thanks." The guys commented as they pulled their shoes off.

"Where's Kira?" Conner asked, looking around the living room.

"Upstairs," Jiao replied around a mouthful of food.

"She's been up there all day." Ryder offered.

"Oh," Conner murmured. Slowly, he moved to the stairs and headed to the upper portion of the house. He gripped the banister and carefully climbed up the stairs, making sure not to put any pressure on his bruises. Conner was surprised to find the door to his room partially closed, a mixture of sounds coming from behind the door. Slowly, he pushed it open to find the curtains pulled shut, and a glow coming from a television. The glow illuminated Kira who was curled up under the blankets, her head resting on his pillow as she clutched the bear he had given her, tightly in her arms.

"Kira?" He softly spoke as he slowly entered the room.

"Hmm?" She murmured sleepily, shifting slightly before snuggling back under the covers. Conner walked deeper into the room and came over to his side of the bed.

"Trent and I are home," he quietly informed as he sat down on the edge of the bed by her back. Slowly, Kira yawned and rolled over to face him, her eyes opening slightly, revealing how bloodshot they were.

"You okay?" She questioned softly. Conner nodded and brought his hand up to gently stroke her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Are you okay?" He worriedly asked, not liking the redness in her eyes. Leaning into his touch, she sighed sadly. Conner kept touching his cheek as he toed off his shoes and kicked them aside. He shifted more onto the bed and stretched out beside her, gently wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to his chest. "I'm sorry, for last night," he guiltily murmured. "After you left, Trent and I talked and…..after a while, we finally realized that you were right. I wish we could keep this secret to ourselves, but having someone at the hospital we can trust isn't a bad thing. And if a doctor had to be the one to find out about us, I am glad it was Dr. Burak, she's definitely done a lot for us, even before she knew the truth."

"Trent was right though." She commented softly, a sad note in her voice. "I should have talked with everyone first instead of making a rash decision." Conner kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back.

"That would've been ideal," he admitted, "but Trent told me more about what Dr. Burak said. It sounded like with her being so sure of her suspicions, there really wasn't much else you could do. Denying them didn't do anything, so what else was there other than telling her the truth?"

"Guess so." Kira murmured in response. Conner held her closer and continued to rub her back.

"I'm sorry for making you feel like you needed to leave last night," he commented. "I seriously am," he added with a smile. "I missed you."

"I needed to go." Came her response. "It's not like coming home to sleep made any difference."

"What do you mean?" He asked softly, and Kira sighed.

"I didn't sleep... At all." Came her response. Conner frowned.

"That's not good," he murmured. He gently kneaded her back as he felt some tension in her muscles. "Were you in pain…from the surgery? Did that keep you up?" He softly asked.

"No." She shook her head.

"Oh," he replied. He had a feeling him and Trent had been the reason why she hadn't slept. He ducked his head down and kissed her forehead. "Do you think you can sleep now?" He tenderly asked.

"I can try." She murmured softly. Conner nodded and pulled the covers up under her chin, lovingly tucking them tighter around her.

"Trying is good," he smiled.

"Just don't leave... Okay?" Kira requested softly.

"Wasn't planning on it," he smiled, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Wild horses couldn't drag me from this bed right now," he added.

"Good." Giving him a smile, Kira snuggled into his embrace. Conner rested his head beside hers and continued to rub her back as he heard her begin to drift off to sleep. Carefully, he reached around her and picked up the remote to the TV, which was a new addition to his bedroom since he had been attacked by the green ranger. He made a mental note to ask Kira about it in the morning. He surfed through the channels, trying to find something to watch. It didn't take long for him to drift off too. A few hours later, Conner was shocked awake by a loud scream from Kira, who was no longer resting in his arms. She had managed to move away from him and was thrashing around in the bed, clearly having a nightmare.

"Kira?" He fearfully asked, quickly sitting up and moving closer to her.

"No!" She cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks as she thrashed. "Leave him alone!" Conner leaned over her and gathered her in his arms, lightly shaking her.

"Kira, Kira, wake up, you're having a bad dream," Conner spoke in her ear.

"Please don't kill me." She sobbed. Conner shook her a little harder to jar her out of sleep.

"Kira, please wake up," he pleaded, his heart clenching at her agonized sobs and whimpers. It took a moment before her eyes finally opened.

"Conner?" She questioned sadly.

"I'm right here," Conner assured her, pulling her closer and stroking her back.

"Oh god." Kira sobbed into his neck.

"Its okay, Kira, its okay," he murmured as he comforted her. It took Conner nearly an hour to fully calm Kira down. Kira's sobs had died down to small hiccups as Conner held her, alternating between stroking her back and her hair. Once Kira had calmed down, he just continued to hold her, letting her relax a few moments after all the stress the dream had clearly put on her.

"I'm sorry." She murmured softly against his neck.

"You don't have anything to apologize for," Conner stated, ducking down to kiss the exposed side of her neck.

"I didn't mean to wake you." Kira stated after a few more minutes. Conner gave her a tender squeeze.

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "I'm glad I did wake up, so I could wake you up," he commented.

"God, what a nightmare." She breathed, hugging him gently.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Conner asked.

"It was about the green ranger." Came the response after a few moments had lapsed. Conner held her closer and kissed her neck again.

"About what happened last night?" He asked, remembering what she had screamed in her sleep.

"Uh huh." Came her whispered reply. "After he hurt you and Trent... He came downstairs..." Conner blinked, not having heard this before.

"Did he hurt you?" Conner asked, mentally praying that nothing had happened to her.

"No." She shook her head. "But he was going to... When he kicked you down the stairs, he let me past so that he could fight with Trent, saying that he wouldn't hurt me." Conner sighed; relieved to hear the green ranger hadn't laid a hand on her.

"When he came downstairs, I guess he had changed his mind and right before he could stab me, something happened... I don't know what, but it was like he realized that he wouldn't or _couldn't_ hurt me..."

"What do you mean?" Conner asked. Kira shrugged in his arms.

"I honestly don't know," she replied. "He just….seemed off. Since he was so distracted, I took my chance and surprised him with a ptera scream."

"That's my Rockstar." He murmured softly.

"When he got his bearings back, he..." She trailed off, swallowing a sob.

"He what, Kira?" Conner softly asked.

"He said he was going to kill me." Came her response after another brief pause. "And then he disappeared." Conner blew out a breath and tightened his hold on her.

"I'm not going to let that freak hurt you, ever," he promised her.

"I know." She whispered.

"Good," Conner said, tilting his head to kiss her lips. They lapsed back into silence for a bit before Kira shift to see the clock.

"Wow... 7am." She commented. "Apparently we slept through the night."

"Really? Wow," Conner commented, looking out his bedroom window. He had been so preoccupied with waking Kira up and comforting her after her nightmare, he hadn't even noticed that the light peeking through his curtains was the soft orange glow of the newly risen sun.

"Apparently so." She affirmed.

"Do you want to try and get some more sleep, or would you rather we head downstairs and see about getting some food into our bellies?" He smiled. As it was, having slept so long and therefore missing dinner was being drawn to the forefront of his mind by his empty stomach.

"Food might be a good idea." She nodded. Conner nodded and slowly released her so the two could get out of bed.

"What are we having?" Kira questioned as she slowly climbed out of bed.

"Hmm," Conner murmured as he got up and moved over to put his arm around her as Kira stood up as well. "Well, there's eggs in the fridge, and I think we have a package of sausage….so, I'm sure I can whip us up something from that," he smiled as the walked out of his room.

"That sounds good." She smiled softly.

"Great," Conner smiled, dropping a kiss on her forehead as they reached the stairs.

"Can we watch a movie later?" Kira requested as they made their way down the stairs.

"Sounds like a good enough plan," Conner smiled as they reached the bottom of the stairs. The two froze briefly as they saw the living room wasn't empty. Hayden was snoring softly sprawled out on the living room couch, while Ryder sat slumped over in the large easy chair, also asleep.

"Um... Where did they come from?" Kira questioned.

"Ryder was here with Jiao when Trent and I got home, and Hayden did pick us up from the hospital," Conner commented. "I guess they just never left," he shrugged.

"Obviously." Came her reply.

"Five bucks says the third member of this little group is not to far from here either," Conner commented as he and Kira continued on their way to the kitchen to start breakfast.

"I'd loose that bet." Kira replied, shaking her head. Conner chuckled quietly. "I mean it's cool that they think of this as a second home..." She commented as she sat on one of the bar stools and relaxed.

"Oh I know." Conner nodded. "It's kind of weird..." Shrugged, he set about working on their breakfast.

"It's Ethan's home though." Kira shrugged. Conner turned and glanced at her, feeling like she had more to say. "I mean….I know before Ethan, Emily and Ryan….before it happened, you'd been living here for a while…" Feeling bad she had suggested he had no right to the house.

"No," Conner stopped her. "I mean, yeah, I'd been living here…..and as much as Ethan made me feel like part of the family, and like this was my home kinda, this was his house. I sometimes couldn't help feel like I was more a long term house guest."

"It just feels weird." She murmured after a few moments. Conner nodded.

"Yeah," he agreed. He looked at her for a moment before letting out a slow breath as he carefully approached a subject that had been on his mind for quite some time. "I was thinking maybe….once things calmed down some more, and we all maybe didn't have to rely on Ethan's basement so much…..about moving out." Kira's head shot up.

"Just...us?" She questioned softly. Conner let out another breath, glad to see she could tell that if he planned on moving out he wanted her there with him.

"Yeah," he replied.

"I'd like that." She blushed in reply. Conner's face broke out into a large grin. Unable to stop himself, he quickly stepped closer to her and cupped her face in his hands before kissing her deeply. Kira moaned as his hands moved to her back and pressed her closer to him, deepening the kiss even further. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in his hair as she kissed him back. After a moment, Conner slowly pulled away.

"I love you Kira." He breathed tenderly.

"I love you too, Conner," Kira replied in the same tone. Smiling, he kissed her nose softly.

"Can I ask you something?" He questioned carefully, knowing that he could be venturing into even more dangerous territory.

"Sure, I guess," Kira replied as she twirled a lock of his hair around one of her fingers.

"I know we kinda discussed it once..." he trailed off.

"What?" Kira asked, not sure of what he was trying to say.

"The possibility... Of us having kids." He commented very softly. Kira's eyes widened slightly as it felt like all the air in her lungs rushed out at that.

"Kids?" She asked once she regained her breath.

"Yeah..." Conner murmured, wondering if he had made a mistake. Kira looked down a moment as she gathered her thoughts.

"I was kind of thinking you were taking this conversation in the direction of the whole….marriage conversation we had before," she admitted. Conner furrowed his brows.

"You would've preferred that?" He asked. Kira bit her lip a moment before nodding. She took a deep breath and looked back up at him.

"Last night, when the green ranger kicked you down the stairs…I thought I'd…..I thought I lost you," she whispered, a lump forming in her throat as she thought back on that moment. "And….it…I guess maybe….not losing you, I don't know. I mean, maybe this sounds crazy, but it feels like maybe you being okay was fate giving us….me….another chance, with you. And maybe part of that chance is to stop focusing on what may or may not be happening so fast, and just…..be happy, be with you," she paused a moment, "forever."

"...So what you're saying... Is that you're okay with us getting married... Like now?" Conner asked softly. Kira gave a soft chuckle and pulled him closer to lay her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not saying this very moment, let's just throw some shoes on and high tail it to city hall," she giggled, "but…in the near future….as in next few weeks or something, yeah," she smiled.

"I can't wait to be married to you." Conner commented after a brief pause. "I love you, so very very much Kira Ford." Kira let out a soft satisfied hum.

"I love you too, Conner McKnight," she smiled. She sighed and lifted her head off his shoulder. "The only sad part is….with everything that's going on, we'd most likely have to postpone any type of decent honeymoon."

"Good thing we're spending a weekend away once you're better." He grinned cheekily. "Honeymoon sex with my new wife." Kira grinned back at him.

"Well then," she murmured, "I guess that tells us around when we should plan getting hitched," she commented.

"Mmhmm." He murmured as he moved his lips to her neck and kissed her soft skin. "You never answered my other question." Came the soft statement, his breath leaving her skin bubbling with goose flesh. Kira shivered slightly in his arms as she had to force herself to focus on what he was saying, and not on the pleasurable feeling of his breath on her skin.

"About kids?" She murmured.

"Yeah," Conner replied.

"I….I don't know," she murmured. "I mean, I want to be with you….craziness of going on right now be damned. I just….I just don't' know if right now is the right time, nor if I'm ready, to bring a baby into our lives."

"I wasn't thinking right now." Conner murmured. "But sometime in the future... I'd like for us to try and get pregnant." Kira let out a shaky breath as tears collected in her eyes. Conner lifted his head to look at her. "….Or not…." He murmured as he saw how upset that idea made her. Kira shook her head.

"No..no, I'm okay," she assured him, her voice cracking slightly. "I just…." She let out a breath and chuckled softly. "I'm sorry, these aren't freaked out tears, I swear," she assured him. "I guess…everything….us talking about getting married soon, having kids in the future, its making me a little emotional."

"You sure you're not already pregnant?" Conner teased lightly, kissing her lips.

"Ha ha, very funny," she dryly replied.

"You love me." He grinned cheekily. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I guess I do," she chuckled. "Though, I'd love you even more if you finished cooking our breakfast, she teased."

"Why? You hungry?" He grinned.

"Yes," Kira replied.

"And why is that?" Conner ducked out of the way as she tried to punch him in the arm. "Now now... Future husband abuse won't be tolerated." He laughed.

"It won't?" She asked with a small pout. "Oh, darn," she teased.

"You'll get over it." Conner chuckled.

"You know," Kira commented with a smile, "if there's a rule against abusing future husbands, I'm pretty sure there's also a rule about not letting your future wife starve," she teased.

"I guess I can cook breakfast then." He sighed dramatically.

"Wise decision," she giggled as Conner turned around to continue cooking breakfast. "Do you want me to make us some coffee?" She asked as she hopped off the stool.

"That'd be great." He smiled. Kira smiled back at him and nodded as she moved over to the coffee maker. They fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments before Conner spoke up. "Uh... So when we get married... Are you staying a Ford? Or are we hyphenating? Or what?" He questioned softly. He snuffled his feet for a moment. Part of him hoping that Kira would take his last name, but he would stand by her wishes and do what she wanted if it meant she'd be happy. Kira looked up at him, her cheeks blushing slightly. Conner caught sight of her blush and titled his head in curiosity. "What?" He asked. Kira bit her lip as the corners of her mouth turned upwards slightly.

"Um….well….there may be a chance that….a long time ago…..when I first….started to like you, back in high school….I might have idly done that whole silly schoolgirl thing of imagining what my name would sound like…..um, you know," she sheepishly murmured.

"Oh?" Conner questioned, slightly amused at her admission. Kira's blushed intensified.

"Ugh, I soo should not have told you that," she groaned.

"You soo should have." He replied, emulating her tone in a teasing manner. "So..." He trailed off, wanting her to say it. Kira gave him a playful glare.

"I don't know if I want to tell you know," she commented.

"Well that's not very nice." Conner pouted.

"You'll get over it," she grinned, throwing back to him what he had said to her just minutes before.

"I don't know if I will." Came his reply as he began to fake cry.

"Awww," Kira cooed as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Poor Conner," she teased.

"Damn right poor Conner." He agreed. Kira giggled and leaned against his side.

"Need a tissue?" She teased.

"That and information." He nodded.

"Hmm, maybe I'll tell you while we're eating," she teased.

"As long as you tell me, I'm okay with that." He murmured quietly in her hair before kissing her softly. Kira smiled against his lips and gave him a gentle squeeze. He drew back after a moment and returned to making their breakfast. Kira moved back to the coffee pot and poured two steaming mugs for them both.

"McKnight." She murmured softly after a few moments as she sipped on her coffee. Conner looked over at her, pausing a moment to process her quiet comment.

"What?" He asked. Kira took another sip from her coffee and carried his over to him before speaking.

"I ended up thinking 'Kira McKnight' had the nicest ring to it," she elaborated. Slowly, Conner set down the egg lifter he had been using and he turned to look at her.

"Are you serious?" He breathed softly, praying that he had heard her correctly and that he wasn't imagining things. Kira simply nodded in reply. Carefully, he took the mugs and set them down on the counter before pulling her into his arms and crushing his lips against hers passionately. Kira moaned and wrapped her arms around him once again as she kissed him back. After a moment, they slowly pulled apart. "God I love you." Conner whispered against her lips. Kira smiled up at him.

"You've mentioned that," she giggled. Stroking her cheek softly, he sighed.

"After we finish breakfast... Can we go for a walk?" He requested gently.

"Sure," Kira smiled.

"Okay." Giving her a smile, that clearly didn't reach his eyes; Conner gave her a quick peck on the lips before turning his attention back to the food. Kira rubbed his back affectionately for a moment before taking their mugs over to the table. She set the mugs down before moving to the cabinets and pulling out plates and utensils for them. Just as she finished setting the table, Conner turned the stove off and moved towards her. He served the eggs and sausage links on the plates Kira had set out before dumping the pan in the sink. Moving back to the table, he sat down next to Kira and kissed her cheek gently. "Eat up, Mrs. McKnight." He smiled softly. Kira grinned as she picked up her fork.

"Mrs. McKnight, I like the sound of that," she commented.

"Likewise." Conner chuckled. Kira smiled and began eating her food. They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they ate their food. They were halfway through their meal when they heard footsteps shuffling into the kitchen. They looked over to see Ryder yawning and scratching the back of his head.

"I smell coffee…" He groggily murmured. Kira simply pointed to the coffee pot. "Thanks," he yawned again as he moved over to the counter.

"You're welcome." Kira chuckled as he proceeded to pour himself a cup. Ryder poured himself a cup and took a long sip.

"Have you guys seen Jiao?" He conversely asked after a moment.

"If I had to venture a guess, she's probably unconscious downstairs." Kira replied around a mouthful of food. "Or she's gone home."

"Her car's still outside, so she couldn't have gone home," he commented as he took another sip of his coffee.

"You looked for her car?" Conner asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh…not intentionally," Ryder replied. "I woke up and just looked out the window…..and just happened to see it there…"

"Well, she's probably downstairs then." Conner shrugged. Ryder frowned a moment before setting his mug down on the coffee and wordlessly moving down to the basement.

"That was odd," Kira idly commented as she speared a piece of sausage with her fork.

"Sure." Conner shrugged as he continued to inhale his food. After a few moments Ryder emerged from the basement, pulling a virtually sleepwalking Jiao behind him.

"She was slumped over passed out on the keyboard," Ryder commented, rolling his eyes as he lead her to the table and had her sit down.

"Exaggerate, much?" Jiao groggily grumbled as she slouched in the chair.

"The 'enter' key left an impression on your cheek," Ryder dryly replied as he moved to the coffee pot and poured her a cup of coffee.

"I was comfortable." She snapped.

"Sure you were," Ryder rolled his eyes as he set a mug down in front of her.

"Mind keeping the fighting to a minimum?" Kira questioned, her eyebrow raised. Jiao grumbled something unintelligible as she put her elbow on the table and held her head up in her hand to drink her coffee. The group fell into a silence as Kira and Conner finished their meal, while Jiao and Ryder sipped at their coffee.

"Before I fell asleep…..I think I was close to figuring out why green boy was able to get it," Jiao murmured, her eyes beginning to droop a little less as the coffee kicked in.

"And?" Conner asked as he cleared his and Kira's plates. Jiao sighed.

"Well….and feel free to hand me the 'dunce' cap for not realizing this sooner…..but well, greenie's part of that….thing," she paused, trying to find the right word, "what was it that Ethan called it in his notes?" She muttered to herself. "Oh, right, the morphing….um….thing."

"You mean the morphing grid?" Kira asked. Jiao nodded.

"Right, that. I mean, sure, that should be obvious, the dude's a ranger. Evil or not, he is a ranger. So….setting up a system that allows rangers in here…..well, that's not all that helpful, now is it?" She commented.

"Yeah... That would be problematic." Conner replied.

"Well, is there a way to tweak the system to keep that specific ranger out?" Ryder asked. Jiao shook her head.

"I mean, sure….there could be…but I'd need to know the exact frequency of his power source to put in the system. You know, so the program knows that that's the frequency to reject," she explained. She sighed and took another long sip of her coffee. "All I've got right now is an answer to why the security sucked last night…I need some more time to figure out how to work around it and solve the problem."

"Take your time." Kira stated as she turned to look at the younger rangers. "As long as it can be fixed."

"Yeah, Jiao, take your time….in other words, perhaps get some sleep in a position that isn't slumped over the keyboard, for a few hours before you go back to working," Ryder commented. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine. I've got coffee in my system, I'm good to go," Jiao insisted. "Besides, given the position I found you in during a brief trip up here during the night…I really don't think you're one to talk about not sleeping in slumped over positions," she pointed out before finishing her coffee. Ryder shrugged.

"Hayden and I flipped a coin for the couch, I lost," he replied.

"Uh huh? What was wrong with sleeping in the guest room?" She countered. Ryder opened his mouth to reply but stopped himself, his eyes shifting to Conner and Kira. He cleared his throat and shrugged.

"I guess I was so tired I forgot about the guest room," he mumbled.

"Well, if you want," Kira began as she pushed her chair back and stood. "You can stay a little while longer and get some sleep in the guest room." She looked over at Conner. "Ready for that walk?" She smiled at him.

"I believe we need shoes first," Conner chuckled. Kira rolled her eyes and held her hand out to him.

"Well, guess we can do that together first," she teased. Conner gave her a small smile and took her hand as the two left the kitchen. Ryder watched the two leave hand in hand as he finished off his coffee. Jiao sighed and stood up.

"Alright, back to work I go," she commented as she headed towards the basement. Ryder sighed and stepped closer to her, grabbing her elbow to stop her.

"Get some actual sleep, as in a bed, please?" He requested, not liking the sight of the dark circles under her eyes. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Why are you so bent out of shape about me sleeping?" She asked. Ryder opened his mouth, paused, and then gave her a small grin.

"Well, things I might have in store for you later, after we all get out of here….would be much more fun, if you're well rested," he replied in a low tone.

"Don't tease." She threatened, casting a glance at Kira and Conner who had come back down into the living room after putting on some more clothing. Ryder released her elbow and stepped back as the couple walked into the kitchen.

"We'll be back later." Kira stated as Conner grabbed a couple bottles of water out of the fridge.

"Have fun," Jiao commented. Moving past Jiao and Ryder, Conner slipped his arm around Kira's shoulders and guided her out of the kitchen. Kira smiled and slipped her arm around his waist as the two headed out the front door. Kissing the side of her forehead softly, they wandered down the driveway and headed in the direction of the park. The walk was short and once there, Kira moved towards the swings and sat down. Conner smiled and moved behind her, setting the bottles of water down to gently push her on the swings. Smiling, Kira relaxed as she swung. After a few moments, Conner began to slow her down until she finally came to a stop. Leaning over, he pressed a tender kiss to her lips. Kira reached up and gently stroked his cheek as she leaned back against him, responding to the kiss. After a moment, he pulled away slowly and moved in front of the swing.

"Let's go down to the lake." He murmured softly.

"Alright," Kira smiled. She ducked down to scoop up the two bottles of water and stood up from the swing. Taking her hand, they wandered down the short distance to the lake. They walked over to a small picnic table situated by the lake and Kira set the bottles down before wrapping her arms around him. Giving her a tentative smile, Conner kissed her.

"I have something I need to tell you." He murmured. "Something that I've only told two people..."

"What is it?" Kira gently asked, feeling his muscles tense as he prepared to tell her. Conner blew out a deep breath and look down. "Conner?" Kira asked, growing concerned. "Whatever it is, you can tell me," she assured him as she gently rubbed his neck.

"I know." He nodded after a moment. "It's….about my family," he murmured.

"What about them?" Kira questioned after a pause. When they had been in high school, she had met his mother a few times, since Conner lived with her in Reefside. She had never met Eric, his twin, but had been accidentally introduced to Conner's father when he had come to the city on business. Conner's father had moved to Blue Bay Harbor with Eric because the other McKnight son had been given an opportunity the family did not want to pass up. Through Conner, Kira had learned it had been Eric's acceptance into the ninja academy located outside of the coastal town. For Eric, Mr. and Mrs. McKnight chose to live apart until he was able to finish his training or until he turned eighteen and could live alone with minimal supervision. Luckily for the parents, their sons' graduations did not happen on the same day, so the family was able to attend both. Though Conner was able to see his brother graduate the high school he had been attending in Blue Bay, Eric's training at the academy prevented him from being able to come to Reefside for Conner's graduation. Afterwards, Mrs. McKnight moved to Blue Bay Harbor to join her husband and son while Conner went off to college. That had been the last Kira had ever heard about Eric or Conner's parents.

"They…." Conner slowly began, bringing Kira out of her memories. "They're dead," he quietly concluded, his eyes glistening slightly with tears of sadness.

"What?" She breathed, her hand flying to her mouth with a gasp. Conner nodded sadly, his chin quivering.

"It was…a little before I started investigating the weird stuff, and the green ranger," Conner breathed. "There was a…..a fire, in the house in Blue Bay," he continued. "Eric had been staying with my parents for the weekend, because his roommate needed their apartment for the night….and I guess something happened with the wiring or something…." His breath hitched as his chest tightened.

"Oh god." She breathed, her hands moving to his face. "Oh Conner..." Conner tightened his jaw and slumped against the picnic table as his emotions got the better of him.

"After…after it happened, I…I guess out of my grief and just desperation to do something to run away from the pain, I decided to just focus on my investigation and drop out of contact with all of you," he explained. Carefully, Kira sat down next to him.

"Oh Conner..." She murmured softly, gently stroking his face. "Why didn't you say anything before?" She softly asked, sad to know this was the first time she was hearing about Conner's loss. She felt like kicking herself for not trying to contact or stay in touch with Mrs. McKnight after Conner vanished. Perhaps then she and the others would've known.

"I couldn't." He replied sadly. "But now... Us getting married, and you wanting to be a McKnight... it's just bringing up something my mom said to me when I was growing up, and I knew I had to tell you about them."

"What do you mean?" Kira asked, rubbing his back as she tried her best to comfort him. Conner took a deep breath and wiped his eyes.

"My mom really wanted a daughter, but she just had me and Eric," Conner explained. "Not to say she didn't want us," he quickly added, "she was always the best mom." He blew out a soft sad chuckle. "She used to tell me and Eric she couldn't wait for us to grow up and get married, so we could give her a daughter-in-law, a new McKnight," he sadly smiled.

"So you wanted me to be a McKnight." Kira murmured softly.

"I think I'd be lying if I said I didn't." He replied after a few moments. Kira leaned closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Conner, I'm so sorry you had to go through all that, all alone," she murmured against his neck, her heart breaking as she thought about all the pain he must've been going through in his self imposed isolation. Carefully, Conner slipped his arms around her as he began to breakdown into uncontrollable sobs. Tears filled Kira's eyes as she heard his devastated sobs and she held him tighter, tenderly kissing the side of his neck.

"It's okay." She murmured softly as she rubbed his back in a comforting manner. Conner continued to sob in Kira's arms for a while, letting all the pain and sadness he had kept bottled up flow out as Kira comforted him. Slowly, his sobs began to quiet down. Kira kissed his cheek and continued to hold him until his sobs ceased completely. "You okay?" She asked softly a short while after.

"A little," he replied, his voice hoarse from sobbing. Kira pulled one arm off of him and picked up one of the bottles of water before handing it to him. "Thank you," he murmured as he twisted the cap off and took a long sip.

"You're welcome Jock." She smiled softly. Conner blew out a breath and tilted his head towards hers.

"I love you, Rockstar," he murmured before lightly kissing her lips.

"I love you too." She smiled against his lips. The two parted after a few moments and simply gazed into each other's eyes. Kira lifted her hand and tenderly stroked his cheek.

"Thank you for telling me." She stated softly.

"Thank you for listening," he replied, kissing her forehead.

"Anything for you." Kira smiled, her eyes closing. "Feel better?" Conner nodded.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Good." Conner leaned in and placed a loving kiss on her lips. Kira ran her fingers through his hair and shifted closer to him as she kissed him back with equal emotion. After a long moment, Conner pulled away slowly.

"Want to head home?" He asked softly.

"Okay," she replied, placing a soft peck on the side of his mouth. "We can watch a movie up in your room, relax for a while," she suggested. Conner smiled and nodded.

"That sounds like a fantastic idea," he replied.

"Actually, I meant to ask... When and where did that TV appear from?" Slowly, they stood and began to move back towards the swings. Kira blushed.

"The day I was at the mall... I put an order down for a few new TV's for the house... One for our room, one for each guest room, and then one for Trent's room as well." Glancing down, she bit her lip slightly. "They came in while you guys were in the hospital." Conner's heart swelled slightly as he heard her call his room 'our room'. He wrapped an arm her and held her closer to his side.

"Ah," he nodded.

"Why though?" Conner questioned, rubbing her shoulder gently. "We have a perfectly good TV downstairs..." Kira shrugged.

"I just thought I'd provide the option for people to watch TV in their rooms if they want it," she commented. "And... I figured it'd be easier for us to watch movies and cuddle." She murmured as an after-thought. Conner smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"True," he replied.

"Glad to see you like the idea." She giggled, leaning against him. Conner chuckled, feeling a lot better with each step they took together. As they closed in on the house, he glanced down at her.

"So... When should we go ring shopping?" He questioned conversationally. Kira smiled up at him, a thrill of happiness going through her as they returned to the subject of them getting married.

"I don't know," she replied. "Soon?" She asked.

"How soon is soon?" Conner replied. "Soon as in tomorrow, or soon as in a few days before we stroll down to the chapel?"

"Soon as in….tomorrow?" Kira asked, feeling a little excited to start planning their nuptials.

"Good." He grinned happily as he ducked down and kissed her passionately.

"We should probably tell Trent and the others at some point," Kira commented as she leaned her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist while they continued to walk.

"Mmmhmm." He agreed as he rubbed her shoulder softly. "We'll need witnesses."

"Yeah," Kira agreed. It only took a few moments before they moved back into the house and pulled their shoes off.

"Hey." Trent called from the kitchen where he was making breakfast for himself and Hayden.

"Hey," Conner replied as he moved into the kitchen to toss out the now empty bottles of water he and Kira had been carrying.

"Did you guys have a nice walk?" Hayden questioned around a loud yawn.

"Yeah," Kira replied as she joined them in the kitchen, slipping her arms around Conner.

"Where are Ryder and Jiao?" Conner asked as he poured himself another cup of coffee.

"Downstairs," Trent replied as he flipped a piece of French toast to cook it evenly. "Jiao's working….and I think Ryder's just there to say 'I told you so' if she falls asleep again," he chuckled.

"Could you grab them Hayden?" Kira requested softly.

"Yeah, sure," Hayden replied as he stood up and headed down towards the basement. Trent frowned in concern and looked over at Kira and Conner.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"Couldn't be farther from that." Conner beamed.

"Okay…" Trent replied, deciding to just take their word for it as the three younger rangers came up from the basement.

"Have a seat guys, Kira and I have an announcement to make." Conner commented, a large smile on his face. Ryder, Jiao and Hayden each took a seat at the table as Trent shut off the stove to give his friends his undivided attention.

"Kira and I have been talking recently, especially given what's happened over the past few weeks... And..." Conner trailed off, squeezing Kira's shoulder gently, prompting her to continue. Kira smiled up at him.

"We're going to get married," she excitedly concluded. There was a brief pause before Trent broke into a massive grin.

"Finally!" He laughed. Kira giggled as Conner grinned.

"Wow, congratulations," Hayden commented.

"Yeah, congrats" Jiao agreed. Ryder nodded, smiling at the couple.

"Now, I know I'm going to be your best man, eh, Conner?" Trent chuckled. Conner laughed.

"I suppose," he replied.

"Jiao..." Kira began tentatively. "Would you be my maid of honor?" Jiao's eyebrows rose up at that.

"Excuse me?" She asked, surprised. "Uh…I really don't think I'm…maid of honor material."

"Well, you're the only chick around so guess you'll have to do," Hayden commented. Jiao rolled her eyes and looked at Kira.

"Why don't you just have a 'man of honor' and get jackass over here to do it?" Jiao asked, jutting her thumb towards Hayden. "My sister in law did it with her best friend from college when she and my brother got married. I mean, hell, my parents and my brother had to bribe me to agree to just be a bridesmaid at that spectacle." Kira sighed, frowning slightly.

"Well, alright then…." She dejectedly replied. Jiao groaned, feeling guilty for being the reason Kira's upbeat excitement had been replaced so quickly.

"Alright, alright, fine I'll do it," she groaned. "But don't expect me to be all….planning bachlorette parties or making cutesy favors or something. I draw the line there." Kira chuckled.

"It's just going to be a private city hall wedding, there are no favors," she assured Jiao.

"Small." Ryder commented. Conner nodded.

"It's just going to be us, and the four of you," Conner replied.

"So very small." Came the response. Kira shrugged.

"It doesn't matter the size of the wedding," she replied, smiling up at her future husband.

"As long as you're all there to celebrate with us." Conner smiled down at her.

"And when will this blessed occasion be occurring?" Trent asked, smiling at his longtime friends.

"We want to wait until we're both a hundred percent recovered," Conner replied. "So, within the next few weeks."

"That's pretty soon." Hayden spoke up.

"No time like the present." Kira shrugged, deflecting the comment. "And before _anyone_ jumps to that conclusion, no, I am not pregnant." She leaned her head against Conner's shoulder. "We want to wait a while before that," she commented.

"Yeah…that's probably for the best, given everything that's going on," Jiao chimed in.

"Agreed." Came the response from the other three rangers.

"Well... I think I'm gonna head upstairs and change back into my PJ's." Kira commented, pulling Conner's hand with her. "If you need us, we'll be watching a movie."

"Don't worry about us, just go relax you soon to be newlyweds," Trent smiled.

"Thanks." Smiling, the couple made their exit from the kitchen.

"Well, I think I'm going to go back to work," Jiao commented as she stood up from the table and headed towards the basement.

"And I should probably head home." Hayden stated.

"What about your breakfast?" Trent asked.

"Oh, yeah, right," Hayden replied. He shrugged. "Give it to Ryder or Jiao," he commented as he stood up.

"I'll take it." Ryder shrugged. Trent nodded and turned back to the stove to resume cooking.

"Alright, see you guys," Hayden commented as he made his way out of the kitchen and towards the front door. Once Kira and Conner had moved back into their room, the couple began to change out of the clothes they had been wearing in favor of something more comfortable.

"What movie did you want to watch?" Conner questioned as he pulled his shirt over his head and shoved his jeans off. Kira shrugged as she picked up her discarded PJs from earlier to change back into them.

"Whatever you want to watch is fine, as long as its nothing too chuck full of explosions or craziness," she smiled. She preferred to relax and not have too much excitement in whatever movie they chose to watch.

"Oh god don't tell me you're hoping I pick a chick flick." Conner teased as he moved over to the bookshelf in the corner. Kira giggled as she pulled her shirt off.

"No, it doesn't have to be a chick flick. But if you pop in Die Hard or something equally as intense, I reserve the right to veto it," she replied.

"Man... I'm never gonna be able to watch Die Hard again, am I?" He asked, pretending to sound upset.

"Aw," Kira cooed as she pulled her thin yellow tank top on. She moved across the room to stand behind Conner and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Sure you will, just not right now," she murmured against his neck.

"Uh huh, you say that now." He laughed, squeezing her hand. "See anything you like?"

"Hmm, I wouldn't be opposed to Good Will Hunting," she commented as she spotted the case on the shelf in front of them. "Its not violent and crazy, but not really a chick flick either. So we can both be happy," she smiled. Conner chuckled.

"I've heard marriage is all about compromise. I guess it's true, huh?" He commented.

"Mmmhmm." Kira murmured as she blushed against his back, feeling giddy at the thought of them being married soon.

"Alright, Good Will Hunting it is," Conner smiled as he pulled the dvd case out.

"Thank you." She smiled. Conner turned around in her arms to face her and lightly kissed her lips.

"Why don't you finish changing and I'll set it up," he smiled.

"Sounds good." Kira smiled against his lips. After enjoying the kiss for a few moments, the two parted as Conner moved over to the TV and Kira moved back over to the bed to change back into her pajama pants. Once they were snug around her waist, Kira moved over to the bed and crawled under the covers, waiting for Conner to join her. Conner set the DVD case on his dresser after he popped the disc into the DVD player. He picked up the remote and carried it with him as he joined Kira in their bed.

Lifting his arm, Kira wrapped it around her shoulders and snuggled up against his side, her head gently resting on his shoulder and draping her hand over his stomach. Conner smiled and dropped a kiss on her forehead as he used the remote to start the movie with his free hand. Kira nodded off around halfway through the movie. Smiling softly, Conner gently moved to lie down on the bed. She gave a dissatisfied moan at the loss of contact, and rolled in her sleep, her back facing him. Openly chuckling, he turned the volume down and shuffled down under the covers, pressing himself up against her back, effectively spooning her. Kira emitted a satisfied hum in her sleep and shifted back against him, leaning into the regained contact. Shaking his head, Conner wrapped his arms around her and pressed a soft kiss to her neck before drifting to sleep.


	25. Addition to the Family

While Conner and Kira slept upstairs, Jiao worked relentlessly in the basement, her eyes fixating on the glowing computer screen as her fingers clicked away on the keyboard.

"You're going to hurt your eyes if you keep working without a break," Ryder spoke up from his spot in a chair near her.

"You're beginning to sound like a broken record, Ryder," Jiao replied, her tone irritated. "A very _annoying_ broken record," she added.

"Well, broken record or not, it doesn't mean I'm not right," Ryder commented. "Are you even blinking?" He asked.

"Only when I can't feel my eyes anymore." She retorted.

"Right, and that's healthy," Ryder replied, rolling his eyes.

"You can leave, you know," Jiao snapped.

"I know I possess the ability to leave, yes," Ryder smartly replied with a smirk.

"Unfortunately what you lack is the ability to shut the hell up, obviously," Jiao grumbled.

"I'll be quiet." Ryder replied after a moment.

"There is a god," Jiao rejoiced. Ryder let out a slightly perturbed sigh and leaned forward to speak to her quietly.

"Keep it up, and I might remember your current attitude towards me at another time….when we're alone," he pointedly commented. Slowly, Jiao turned and looked at him.

"How so?" He questioned. Ryder pursed his lips and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I might decide to do something else at a time you'd prefer I was doing….well; do I need to finish that sentence?" He asked, his previous smirk returning. He shrugged again. "Or something else along the lines of getting you back for mistreating me right now," he added. "I'm sure I'll think of something."

"Oh, that's convincing," Jiao snorted as she turned back to the computer. "As if you'd pass up the chance to do "…well do I need to finish that sentence'….of the two of us, you're the bigger fan of our 'rounds'," Jiao boldly lied. "And as for whatever 'something else' is….Don't even know what that's supposed to mean."

"Uh huh... Sure." He replied, not believing a word. Jiao shrugged as she continued looking over lines of code.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but tilting the detachable showerhead in my bathroom works pretty much just as well, if not better, than what you do," Jiao flippantly commented. "So, you suddenly deciding you've got better things to do than come over to my place….not that much of a threat."

"You didn't seem to be complaining the other night." Ryder murmured as he moved closer to her, his fingers skirting over the naked flesh of her neck. Jiao bit her lip as her heart skipped a beat at his touch.

"I'm not saying what you do is bad," she murmured. "Just saying I can easily replace you if need be," she concluded as her cheeks began to blush lightly as he moved his fingers to the sensitive spot behind her ear.

"Hmm, I doubt that." He murmured.

"Doubt it all you want," Jiao insisted, trying to maintain her composure. "Doesn't necessarily mean you're right."

"They might be able to help you out." Ryder commented huskily. "But I think you'd have to agree nothing is as good as the real thing." Jiao swallowed thickly as she tried to ignore the feelings Ryder's low tone was creating inside of her.

"If that line of thinking makes you feel better, go right ahead and believe it," she murmured.

"I can prove it to you if you prefer." Came his reply as he shifted and kissed her neck.

"You're going against our little rule…you know the one that keeps anyone besides us knowing about anything that's going on," Jiao murmured as she unconsciously tilted her neck to give him more access.

"I have good hearing." He stated as he began to nip along her skin. Jiao simply moaned quietly in response, unable to think of anything else to say. Ryder placed a hand on her chin and gently moved her face back towards his before moving his lips up to hers.

"We... shouldn't." Jiao commented between kisses. Ryder wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, until she was nearly sitting on his lap and not completely in her seat.

"Do you want me to stop?" Ryder murmured against her lips.

"No..." Jiao replied after a few moments. "But..."

"But what?" Ryder asked as he slowly moved back down to her neck, sucking and nipping on her pulse point.

"We... should go back to my place." She finished.

"Are you suggesting that you're actually taking a break from working tirelessly?" Ryder asked, grinning against her skin, rather pleased to see he was managing to get her to stop tiring herself out with the computers.

"Maybe." Jiao murmured in response. Ryder chuckled huskily and moved a hand up her side to cup her breast.

"What's it gonna take to turn that 'maybe' into a 'yes'?" He teased. Her head dropped backwards as a low moan escaped her lips.

"Ryder…" She half murmured, half whined.

"Mmhmm?" He questioned with a smile.

"You're such a damn tease," she groaned. Ryder chuckled and nipped along her neck.

"How can I be a tease if I'm actually doing something?" He asked, one of his fingers idly brushing against her nipple through her shirt.

"Oh fuck." She choked out around a moan. She clenched her jaw and gritted her teeth to keep from making any other noises. "You're a damn tease because you're doing all this when you know we're not somewhere we should be doing all this," she tersely replied in a low tone.

"Variety is the spice of life." He grinned.

"Not here, it isn't," Jiao insisted around a low moan. "If Trent or whomever comes in here and catches us, I will kill you."

"I told you... I have good hearing." He replied. "Or..."

"Or what?" Jiao asked, her hands moving up to his hair on their own accord.

"We could go somewhere..."

"Well, getting up to go somewhere is a good idea," Jiao murmured. "There's just a small problem…."

"Oh?" Ryder asked.

"I'm finding it very difficult to do anything even remotely resembling moving out of this position," she shyly admitted. Ryder smiled.

"Is that so?" He asked.

"Uh huh." Jiao blushed.

"So, I'm guessing getting up would be make a lot more difficult if I were to do this…huh?" He teased as his hand moved down from her breast and ended up between her legs.

"What do you think you're doing?" She breathed.

"Nothing," Ryder innocently replied.

"Liar." She countered. Ryder grinned and kissed the side of her jaw.

"Consider it more incentive to get out of here," he murmured.

"Ok." Jiao agreed after a few moments. She sighed and let her head drop onto his shoulder as she fought to calm herself down enough to get up. "We can't leave at the same time," she commented. "It'd be a little suspicious."

"You know, you're a little paranoid," Ryder chuckled.

"Am not." She countered. "I'm just being careful," she justified. Ryder smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"If you say so," he replied. "So, what, you want one of us to leave then the other waits five or ten minutes before leaving?" He asked, figuring he might as well go along with her logic.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Okay, who leaves first?" Ryder asked.

"I will." Jiao commented. "Since we're going back to my house."

"Sounds reasonable enough," Ryder replied. He gave her one more kiss before pulling his hands away to let her get up. Carefully, Jiao stood and smoothed out her hair and outfit before turning to look at him.

"See you in a bit." Ryder nodded and watched her pick up her messenger bag and leave the basement. Ryder sat in his chair for a few moments to give Jiao amble time to leave and not go against her paranoia fueled wishes. He peered over to the computer screen to see what Jiao might've been working on. The various lines of code might as well have been ancient greek from how much Ryder could decipher. He waited a few moments longer, hoping that maybe he could figure it out. After a while he gave up, realizing he could stare at the computer screen for hours and still not understand what Jiao had been working so tirelessly on. He looked at his watch and was surprised to see he had been trying to make sense of the computer screen for over fifteen minutes. Standing, he reached over and shut the desk lamp off and moved towards the stairs. He climbed up out of the basement and saw Trent in the kitchen working on dinner.

"Hey," the elder ranger greeted. "You hungry? I'm just whipping up some pasta and chicken for Conner, Kira and myself, but if you're staying I can add another piece of chicken," he offered. Ryder gave him a small smile and shook his head.

"Nah, that's okay. Thanks though," he replied. "I need to head home, been neglecting some of my pieces lately," he fibbed with a shrug. Trent nodded.

"Ah, say no more. I understand," the fellow artist of the group replied.

"Give me a shout when you need us back here." Ryder commented as he moved towards the front door.

"Will do," Trent called back as he stirred the pasta.

"Bye." Came Ryder's reply as he exited the house. He quickly jogged down the porch steps and over to his car, eager to get to Jiao's house. He managed to stay within the speed limit for the twenty minute drive to Jiao's house and parked his car on the curb. He climbed out of his car and walked up Jiao's driveway and onto her porch. He knocked on Jiao's door and waited. After a few minutes, he frowned and knocked again. Still nothing, he knocked a third time, making sure to knock a little louder in case she just hadn't heard the previous knocks.

"Hang on," he finally heard from inside. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a disheveled and bleary eyed Jiao.

"Hey," he commented. Jiao drew in a weary breath and simply stepped aside to let Ryder walk in. "You okay?" Ryder asked as Jiao shut the door behind him.

"Kind of ended up crashing on my couch while I was waiting for someone to get here," Jiao grumbled.

"You're the one who said to make sure there was enough time between us leaving." Ryder replied as he brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face.

"Details, details," she yawned. She felt Ryder tuck the strand of hair behind her ear before letting his fingers linger against her cheek.

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Ryder suggested. Jiao rolled her eyes and snorted.

"After all that back at the house, now you're back on the whole me getting some rest position?" She asked. Ryder chuckled and stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Well, I would like to do other things, but I'm afraid you're so tired you'd pass out from exhaustion in the middle of it all. And that wouldn't be good for my ego," he joked.

"Clearly you have no faith in my ability to stay awake." Jiao replied before yawning loudly. Ryder chuckled.

"You do remember I'm the one who had to keep you awake after your concusion, right?" He teased. "And, you do remember the lengths I had to go to keep you awake and to wake you up when you dosed off too, right?" Jiao sighed and rolled her eyes.

"No one likes a smartass," she wearily murmured. Ryder grinned.

"I don't recall you having any complaints about my ass so far," he teased. "In fact, I remember you complimenting it the other morning." Jiao blushed and looked away. She remembered the incident he was talking about. Jiao had woken up to find Ryder climbing out of bed to put his boxers on and make breakfast.

"I was half awake, I had no idea what I was saying," Jiao replied.

"Uh huh, sure." He chuckled. Ryder pulled her closer, making Jiao lean against him. "Come on, sleep for a few hours. Its not like I'm planning on going anywhere," he attempted to convince her.

"And what do you intend to do while I'm sleeping?" Jiao skeptically asked, unconvinced he'd actually stay while she slept. Ryder shrugged.

"Read, watch tv-on a low volume, of course-hang out with Tybalt, I don't know," he replied. Jiao was quiet for a few moments as she considered his suggestion.

"You're sure you're staying?" She asked, forcing her tone to remain simply mildly curious. Ryder ducked his head and kissed her cheek.

"Positive," he assured her. Jiao went quiet again for a little while before sighing.

"I guess I can nap for a little while," she murmured.

"That sounds like a good idea." He smiled. He moved to stand beside her and slid his arm around her shoulders, letting her continue to lean against him as she headed towards the bedroom. Ryder had Jiao sit down on her bed as he kneeled down in front of her. He reached down to take her sneakers off for her when Jiao slowly slumped in the bed, lying on her side.

"What are you doing?" Jiao tiredly asked as she watched Ryder untying her shoes. Ryder shrugged.

"Just helping," he replied. Jiao narrowed her eyes suspiciously, to which Ryder smirked. "Hey, I figure the sooner you're comfortable and asleep, the sooner you'll awake refreshed and well rested, the sooner we can get to other things," he concluded, his smirk growing into a grin.

"Uh huh... Sure." Jiao replied tiredly. Ryder finished taking her shoes off for her and lifted her feet up to lay her legs on the bed. Jiao yawned and settled on her pillow to get comfortable, only acutely aware of Ryder getting up and pulling the covers up and over her. Once Jiao was comfortably settled under the covers, Ryder moved to the empty side of the bed and picked up the remote, figuring he'd quietly watch TV for now.

"Sleep well." He commented as Jiao snuggled under the covers.

"Mm," was all Jiao murmured in response as she drifted off. Ryder waited a few moments, letting her slip off into a deeper sleep before turning on the TV. Once he did turn on the tv, he quickly adjusted the volume so as to not disturb her and flipped channels seeing what was on at the time. He finally settled on an edited for television airing of a horror movie and set the remote down on the bed.

An hour into the movie, he heard Jiao give a soft hum or murmur in her sleep. He quickly picked the remote back up and lowered the volume a couple of notches, just in case the noise was disturbing her. Jiao simply sighed in her sleep and turned on her back. She stayed there for a few moments before turning onto her other side, this time facing Ryder, her arm flopping across his midsection. He raised his eyebrows as she snuggled slightly closer to him. He debated on how to react to Jiao's action, especially with all her rule about cuddling. His debating was cut short, however, as Jiao moved even closer to him, her head moving onto his chest. Jiao clearly wasn't a person who just 'didn't do' cuddling as she had previous told him, not that Ryder had believed her back then anyway. Ryder sighed, deciding to leave it be for now. He placed a light kiss on the top of her head and wrapped his arm across her shoulders, figuring he could ask her about this at some other time.

"Mm, Ronnie," Jiao contently murmured in her sleep, snuggling deeper into Ryder's embrace. Ryder's body tensed, feeling a little put out and even a little jealous. Who the hell was this 'Ronnie' person? Ryder took a deep breath and shoved his indignation aside, deciding to leave it be. He finally reasoned that he and Jiao weren't in an actual relationship, so perhaps he had no right to get upset about her murmuring someone else's name in her sleep. _No, when she's saying someone else's names during other activities….then you're allowed to be pissed_, his mind told him.

Ryder tried his hardest to push away the ill feelings Jiao's brief sleep talking had created, but it continued to gnaw at him and make him feel awkward in his current position. He lifted his arm off of her and let it rest over his head, something inside of him telling him there was no point in holding her if he wasn't the one she wanted to be held by. He heard Jiao give a dissatisfied noise and pout slightly in her sleep before attempting to snuggle closer to him. He frowned slightly as he watched her. He considered putting his arm back around her, but in the end it felt too much like deceiving her. Not to mention it made him feel even more like a substitution for whoever this Ronnie guy was. Ryder sighed and carefully shifted away from her, briefly taking her in his arms to move her off of his chest and back onto her pillow. Once Jiao was off of his body, he sat up to discourage Jiao from resuming her position as she continued to sleep. A strange feeling washed over him as he did so. He felt used, upset, and most of all, angry. He thought back to everything that had happened during their quasi-relationship. How many times had he touched or kissed her, had she secretly wishing it was someone else? How dare she use him like this! His mind growled.

As Ryder continued to stew in his anger and resentment, replaying everything that had gone on between them—and trying to ignore the physical reaction some memories brought on—something occurred to him that made all other thoughts freeze. He remembered Jiao's hesitation in the beginning. The way she said she had been hurt in the past by someone who made her head fuzzy just like Ryder did.

"Shit," he muttered to himself, his feelings of anger and resentment fading away slightly. Jiao had never lied to him about how she viewed their 'relationship'. She had been upfront and told him she had had bad experiences with someone in her past. Maybe in a way Jiao was using him, and the sex, to get over some ex-boyfriend who broke her heart. But it wasn't like he hadn't known or suspected this before. This was just the first time since they'd started having sex that she had revealed—albeit, unintentionally—that her mind was still with someone else. This realization did nothing to make Ryder feel better about himself in this predicament, but he couldn't find it in himself to stay angry at her. Ryder sighed as he momentarily considered lying back down and taking her back into his arms. He wasn't surprised to hear Jiao sigh happily as she snuggled back into his embrace. Ryder let her head nestle into the crook of his neck as she got comfortable beside him. Once she settled in, Ryder ducked his head and kissed the side of her mouth, his hands rubbing her back. He didn't care if in Jiao's mind it was someone else holding her, he didn't dwell on the fact that he was just a substitute until she got over her ex and probably moved onto someone else. He decided to just focus on how well she fit in his arms, and how soothing her breath felt against his neck.

A few hours later, Jiao slowly awoke to feeling of being held and cuddled up against someone. She frowned and tilted her head up and saw Ryder sleeping beside her. Jiao frowned deeply, annoyed that Ryder had not only gone against her clearly stated rule about cuddling, but had done so while she was sleeping, taking advantage of her unaware state.

"Ass," she lowly muttered. She put her hands against his chest to push away from him. Ryder simply sighed in his sleep and held onto her tighter than before. "What the hell?" She muttered. She tried pushing away from him one more time, only to be met with the same result. Jiao growled in annoyance and hit his chest to wake him up.

"Ow!" Ryder exclaimed as his eyes flew open. "What the hell?"

"That's what you get for not letting go," Jiao snapped as she shoved his arms off of her and sat up.

"Oh?" He shot back. "This coming from the person who snuggled up against me in the middle of the night?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jiao replied, so sure Ryder had taken advantage of her no cuddling rule while she was asleep.

"You heard me," Ryder stated, rubbing his chest where she had hit him. However good it had felt to hold her before, her hitting him and snapping at him had done away with that feeling. "You snuggled up against me and called me 'Ronnie' while you were sleeping," he spat out, not bothering to hold back any venom from his tone. Jiao flinched, taken aback by that revelation.

"What?" She numbly asked.

"You heard me." He replied. "And as much fun having someone say another guy's name, is," he sarcastically continued, "it did kind of ruin the moment so I moved away, only to have you not like that very much." Jiao ran a hand through her mused hair, growing more and more upset as Ryder spoke. "So, I guess your whole 'I just don't do cuddling' wasn't all that truthful, huh?" Ryder commented. Jiao sucked in a breath and quickly got up.

"I think you should go," she hurriedly mumbled. Ryder furrowed his brows and stared up at her.

"What?" He asked. "That's it? No explanation or even an apology for hitting me? You're just going to kick me out?"

"There's nothing to explain," Jiao insisted.

"Yeah, right," Ryder replied, rolling his eyes. "If you're going to use me as a means to just get over someone else, I would think the least you could do was give me an explanation."

"I'm not using you." She defended.

"Right," Ryder replied, unconvinced. Jiao sighed and wearily rubbed her face, already fed up with this discussion.

"Whatever, believe what you want to believe," she sighed. "I need to feed my cat," she commented as she left the room, hoping that exit would sustain as an exit to the conversation as well. Sighing, Ryder stood and followed her out of the room. He followed Jiao into the kitchen to find her tossing the used cat dish into the sink and opening a can of cat food beside a clean dish. She looked up to see him walking in and sighed. "You're still here?" She exasperatedly asked.

"Yes, because I want to figure this out." He replied. Jiao sighed and shook out the cat food into Tybalt's dish.

"There's nothing to figure out. Fine, I did something stupid when I was asleep and said someone's name. Big fucking deal," she flippantly replied as she set Tybalt's dish down.

"I think it is a pretty big fucking deal." Ryder commented. Jiao rolled her eyes and stepped aside to give Tybalt a clear path to his food.

"Why is it a big deal?" Jiao asked. "Jeez, its not like I said someone else's name during sex or something," she muttered, crossing her arms and looking away.

"It just bothers me that you're saying someone else's name at all." He muttered. Jiao rolled her eyes again.

"Wow, I didn't realize we had slipped into some type of committed relationship, jealous insecurity included," she commented.

"I know we're not in a relationship." He replied, rolling his eyes. "It's just bothersome."

"Fine, whatever," Jiao replied. "If it's that bothersome then maybe we shouldn't be doing this anymore," Jiao commented, giving him a forced shrug as if to try to say 'I could care less either way'.

"So just because I'm little bothered that you called out someone else's name while you were sleeping, you'd rather end this than get past it." Ryder stated as he shook his head.

"What's there to get past? You're the one who's all cranky about it," Jiao argued.

"Oh, right, as supposed to you….who gets cranky just because I was holding you, only because you initiated it and snuggled up beside me," Ryder replied.

"So I made a mistake." She snapped.

"And just so I'm sure, what's the mistake….wanting me to hold you while you were sleeping, or saying someone else's name?" He asked. Jiao looked away again.

"I don't know….both, I guess," she muttered. She rolled her eyes and left the kitchen, yet again with the vain hope that this conversation would end. She stalked off back to her room and flopped on her bed. Sighing again, Ryder followed her once more.

"Look... I just want to know why."

"Why what?" Jiao asked, losing her patience.

"Why everything," he replied. "Why did you curl up against me, why did you say some other guy's name?"

"I don't know. I was sleeping for crying out loud," Jiao snapped. Ryder shook his head and kneeled beside her on the bed.

"Fine, then give me just your best guess as to why you might've done that in your sleep," he replied.

"It was a dream." Jiao shrugged.

"A dream?" Ryder asked, "about another guy?" He added, his heart sinking slightly.

"About my ex." She whispered. Ryder had begun to figure that, but hearing her say it left no room for doubt or uncertainty. Jiao looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It didn't mean anything," she muttered. Carefully, Ryder leaned over and cupped her face gently.

"I'm sorry for being jealous." He murmured softly.

"Aha, so you admit you were acting jealous," Jiao dryly commented.

"Well... It's a bit of a bruise to the ego when someone says another persons name in their sleep." He chuckled. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Its not like I said it while we were…otherwise occupied," she commented. "Just let it go already."

"Okay." Ryder nodded after a moment. His thumb rubbed against her cheek gently. "Can you just explain one thing for me, and then I'll promise I'll drop the subject?" Jiao sighed and braced herself for what he wanted to know.

"…Alright…" She hesitantly replied.

"The cuddling thing….why is that such a big deal? I mean, obviously its something you've done in the past…." Ryder stated. Jiao looked down.

"It's just….easier that way," she murmured. "Not bringing that into things."

"What do you mean?" Ryder asked, confused.

"If there's no cuddling in the mix at all…then there's nothing to miss when things start not going so well," she mumbled.

"...Are you expecting things to not go well?" Ryder questioned. Jiao shrugged.

"I don't know," she replied, "but…if they do…." She let her voice trail off. She sighed. "My ex and I would cuddle sometimes…..and towards the end he just…wouldn't. After sex he'd just turn over and go to sleep, and other times he'd find reasons, like oh its suddenly not comfortable to sit like that when we're watching tv in my dorm…or some other crap. I didn't think too much about it at the time….but….then, in hindsight…." She let her voice trail off again.

"I'm sorry." He replied softly. Jiao simply sighed again and continued to keep her head down. Ryder carefully leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'm sorry…for saying _his_ name," she mumbled, her tone straining slightly on the word 'him'. "I guess I was just…having a dream and remembering stuff from back then…and when I got closer to you, sense memory or whatever made me think I was actually….you know…back there, when things were…okay."

"Does that mean that things aren't okay now?" He questioned softly.

"You mean, between you and me?" She asked.

"Yeah." Ryder nodded.

"No…I don't think they're not okay with us," she said, trying to clarify what she had said. She sighed again and looked up at him. "This guy and I were together for a while…I guess even still, if I'm with someone, my subconscious mind goes straight to…the asshole."

"Oh," Ryder replied. "So, following that logic….what would it take for your subconscious to realize that you're with me, not someone else?" He asked.

"I don't know." She sighed after a while. Ryder sighed and moved to sit beside her on the bed.

"Can I offer a suggestion?" He asked. Jiao shrugged.

"I guess," she replied.

"Well, maybe it's the cuddling thing," he commented. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"You're like a dog with a bone on the whole cuddling thing," she commented.

"Hear me out," Ryder said, "you were with this guy for a while, so your subconscious is used to cuddling and just in general being with that guy. Maybe if you let yourself get used to being with someone else, consciously, your subconscious will follow."

"Maybe you have a point." She responded after a moment. Ryder smiled, glad to see she agreed, and wrapped his arms around her. Slowly, Jiao leaned into the embrace. Ryder held her closer and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?" He asked softly.

"For a little while, sure," Jiao replied.

"Okay." Smiling, Ryder guided her back down onto the bed and streched out beside her. Jiao settled on her side as Ryder slipped his arms back around her. She moved closer to him and rested her head in the crook of his neck. Smiling softly, he draped his arm around her and began to rub her back slowly. "So, you only want to sleep for a little while, any ideas for what you have in mind after?" He asked. Jiao peeked up at him and smirked.

"Well, I'd imagine it would probably be the reason we left Conner's house in the first place," she teased.

"That sounds like fun." Ryder chuckled. He ducked his head down and placed a light kiss on her lips. "Can't wait," he grinned. Jiao chuckled and shook her head.

"Why doesn't that surprise me," she commented.

"It shouldn't." He laughed. Jiao giggled and rolled her eyes good naturedly.

"Silly me," she commented.

"Go to sleep." He continued to chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah," she chuckled, snuggling closer to him to get comfortable. Ryder reached down and pulled the blankets back up to cover them. He brought the blankets up to his and Jiao's shoulders before slipping his arm back around her.

"Sleep well." He murmured as her breathing began to even out. Jiao hummed contently as she drifted off. Ryder smiled and held her closer as he rested his head and dosed off as well.

Early the following morning, Kira stood in her bedroom gathering her items for the day, and organizing her small amount of possessions to move them into Conner's room. They had a discussion late the previous evening regarding their pending nuptials, and finally moving all of Kira's possessions into their bedroom. Conner had busied himself with reorganizing his dresser and closet to give Kira space so the two could share.

During their discussion, it had come to Conner's attention that most of Kira's possessions were still locked away in her Reefside home, including the vast majority of her wardrobe. He had promised her that during their outing today to pick out not only her engagement ring, but their wedding bands, they would also take time to find her more clothes, something that had pleased Kira to no end. Just as Conner finished organizing the drawers, Kira wandered into their bedroom, holding a small pile of clothing in her arms.

"I think I might have to invest in a second dresser for in here," he chuckled as Kira dumped the clothes on their bed to refold them for the drawer space Conner was giving her.

"Why?" Kira giggled as she began to fold the items. "You plan on buying me enough clothes to dress an army?"

"Maybe," Conner smiled.

"You don't need to do that." Kira blushed as she began seperating the clothing into piles. "I can make do with what I have." Conner moved to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Most of your stuff's back in Reefside. You're going to need stuff," he replied. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Its not like the stuff in Reefside has gone into a black hole, I could get the rest of my stuff. I mean, I will have to eventually anyway," she commented as she set down the shirt she had been folding and turned around to face him. "I mean, you know, since I'm going to be staying here permanently," she added as she slipped her arms around his neck. Conner blinked as he rubbed her back gently.

"You want to stay here permanently?" He questioned, slightly surprised. He knew that her work was extremely important to her, and that Reefside had been her home since she was a little girl. There were so many memories in their hometown and he had figured that once this business with the green ranger was _finally_ complete, they'd move back across the country and live happily ever after.

"Well, I just assumed that we would be staying here in Texas," Kira replied with a slight shrug.

"And here I thought that we'd be going back to Reefside." Conner chuckled as he pressed his forehead to hers. Kira smiled.

"Well, as corny as this is going to sound….I guess it doesn't matter where we live, as long as we're together," she replied. Conner grinned.

"You're right," he replied. "That was corny," he added. Kira giggled.

"You suck." She continued to giggle.

"But you love me anyway," he chuckled.

"True," Kira replied, tilting her face closer to his to kiss him.

"And besides," Conner commented as he pulled away a moment later. "Even though you have a full wardrobe in Reefside, it's not here." He gently rubbed her back. "Do you really want to keep on needing to do laundry as often as you have been, because you keep running out of clothes?" Kira sighed.

"Well, no," she replied, beginning to relent. "I guess getting more clothes to cut down on the frequency of laundry…would be nice," she murmured.

"So you see my point." He smiled softly. Kira sighed.

"Yes, but let's not get too crazy, okay?" She requested. "I don't need to get enough for you to need to think about getting another dresser."

"Just essentials then." Conner nodded. "Some new shirts, pants, etc." Chuckling he kissed her. "As long as you're happy with what we get." Kira smiled and gently ran her fingers along the back of his neck.

"Sounds good," she replied.

"We'll probably need to get a dress too," he mused aloud. "I mean, that is if you're planning on wearing a dress when we go to city hall," he quickly added, not wanting to seem like he was in anyway dictating what she should wear on their wedding day. Kira chuckled.

"I might've been planning on wearing a dress….but I'm not buying it with you," she grinned.

"Oh?" Conner asked.

"Um yeah," Kira replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding. And I think right now with how things have been going, we can't chance scoffing on any possible bad luck."

"Ah yes, excellent point." He chuckled. "I like the idea of being mostly traditional."

"Exactly," she smiled. "So, since we've each got our own member of the wedding party…you take Trent to get yourself something nice to wear, and I'll drag Jiao kicking and screaming to go dress shopping," she chuckled.

"You'd have better luck taking Hayden." Conner laughed loudly. "And I might recommend it." Kira giggled.

"Maybe, but she's my maid of honor. Besides, she'd probably need to get a dress too," Kira replied.

"She's going to kill you." He chuckled as he rubbed her back. "But you're right." Kira smiled and gave him a quick kiss.

"Now, let me get back to folding my clothes," she playfully admonished.

"Want some help?" He grinned, wriggling his eyebrows. Kira giggled and shook her head at his antics.

"Okay, but only if you behave yourself," she replied.

"And if I don't?" Conner questioned, his tone bordering on husky.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Kira said, shaking her head. "Now now, Conner, we can't do anything until we're fully recovered," she giggled.

"I know." He replied with a sigh. Kira leaned forward and gave him another kiss.

"Just think of it this way, it'll be even better when we are finally able to be intimate," she smiled.

"Oh it will be better than better." He grinned cheekily. "It's going to be so absolutely amazing." Kira grinned.

"It better be," she teased.

"Maybe I should call the hotel now and book out an entire floor so that we don't disrupt anyone." He grinned cheekily. Kira giggled.

"Really, now?" She asked, her eyebrows rising ever so slightly. "You're planning on us being that loud, huh?" She asked.

"Loud, hard, rough, long." He commented with a sexy smile. Kira bit her lip as a blush colored her cheeks.

"Can't wait," she replied.

"Good." He grinned before kissing her softly. Kira ran her fingers through his hair as she kissed him back. After a moment, Kira slowly pulled away.

"We should head out soon." She murmured softly.

"Oh I guess," Conner chuckled.

"I can put the rest of this away when we get home." Kira commented as she snuggled against him. "I mean I'll have to put the new stuff away anyways."

"True," Conner replied before giving her one more kiss. "So, where should we go first?" He asked. Slowly, Kira peered up at him.

"Do you really need to ask that?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows. "Jewley over clothing, _any day."_

"Silly me," Conner laughed. Giggling, she moved slightly onto her tip-toes and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. Conner smiled and stepped away briefly to grab his keys and wallet from his dresser. Reaching over slightly, Kira grabbed her sunglasses and purse from beside the bed and moved to where Conner had stopped in front of the door. Conner slipped an arm around her shoulders as the two left the room. As they climbed into the car and headed towards the strip mall located outside of the city. Conner reached over and slipped his hand into hers.

"Any idea of what kind of engagement ring you'd like?" He questioned softly. Kira smiled at him and ran a thumb along the back of his hand, an excited thrill running through her at them going to buy the rings.

"I don't know. Something tasteful, but elegant….I guess I'll know it when I see it," she replied. Smiling tenderly, Conner nodded.

"Sounds good." Kira held Conner's hand in her hands and idly stroked his fingers as Conner turned onto the highway that led towards the strip mall.

"What kind of band are you thinking of?" She questioned softly as she ran her fingers over his, stroking them softly.

"I'm not sure," Conner replied, giving her a slight sheepish shrug. "I guess we'll know it when we see it," he commented, throwing her earlier words back to her.

"Alright." Kira agreed with a smile. "Although... I think either platinum or white gold would look really nice on your hand." She blushed. Conner gave her a sideways smile as he made the turn to drive towards the exit they needed.

"Is that so?" He asked. She glanced away as the blush increased on her face.

"Uh huh." Conner grinned and tightened his hold on her hand before bringing their joined hands together to place a kiss on the back of her palm. Giving him a soft smile, Kira slowly released his hand as he slowed the car down and put his turn signal on. He waited a few moments for traffic to clear before turning onto the exit. Kira peered out the windshield as she experienced another thrill of excitement at the sight of the sign for the strip mall entrance, which included a small sign for Tiffany's & Co., in the distance. Navigating the parking lot, Conner managed to find a fairly close parking spot. Conner carefully parked in the spot, making sure he was within the white lines, before shutting the ignition off and unbuckling his seatbelt.

"We're here." He commented with a soft grin as Kira unbuckled her seatbelt. Turning slightly, she shot him a megawatt smile, causing him to laugh loudly.

"Excited?"

"Maybe just a little," Kira giggled.

"Good." Leaning over slightly he kissed her gently. "Me too." Kira grinned against his lips and gently stroked his cheek.

"I love you," she softly murmured, returning his kiss.

"Love you too Rockstar." He replied tenderly.

"Good," Kira grinned. "Now, let's get out of here so you can buy me a ring, Jock," she teased.

"Yeesh, fine Ms. Bossy." Conner laughed as they climbed out of the vehicle and moved out behind it towards the stores. Kira giggled as she climbed out of the car as well and moved to stand beside him.

"But that's one of the things you love about me," she teased, her hand slipping into his.

"Uh huh." Shaking his head with a chuckle, he squeezed her hand gently. Kira smiled and leaned against him as they walked towards the door to Tiffany's. Glancing up at the sign and then back down at the glass doors, Conner sucked in a shaky breath.

"Nervous?" Kira asked. His eyes flicked down and met hers. With a nod of his head, he sighed.

"Very." He admitted.

"Why?" Kira curiously asked. "Its not like this is you buying a ring before you asked and didn't know whether I'd say yes or no," she pointed out with a smile. "I'm kind of a sure thing," she lovingly teased. Blushing, Conner chuckled.

"That, I know." He replied as he slipped his hand out of hers and looped his arm lightly around her shoulders. "Still nerve-wracking though." Kira leaned closer to him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Just take a breath, we can go inside when you're ready," she smiled. Nodding, he gave her a soft smile. Taking a deep breath, Conner relaxed for a moment before nodding.

"Ready."

"Great," Kira grinned. Conner chuckled as the two drew closer to the door and Conner pulled it open with his free hand. Slowly, the couple moved inside the store and Kira gasped softly at the beauty of the elegance. Conner grinned and kissed the side of her head as they walked deeper into the store.

"Can I help you?" A voice came from beside them as a tall woman moved from behind the counter. Conner and Kira looked over towards her and moved closer to the counter.

"Yes, we're looking for an engagement ring," Conner replied, giving Kira a small affectionate squeeze to his side.

"And wedding bands." Kira continued with a slight blush.

"Of course." The woman beamed as she ushed them towards the far counter. "Did you have any particular designs or styles in mind?" The woman asked as she stepped behind the counter filled with rings.

"Something elegant but simple." Kira commented as she began to scan the rings.

"Alright," the woman nodded as she opened up the back of the display case and went about pulling out a few trays to show the couple the selection of rings. "These are some of our engagement rings," the woman said as she laid out two trays. She pulled out a couple more trays, which held the wedding bands. "We also have engagement and wedding band sets," she commented as she pulled out one more tray. "The band fits around the engagement ring," she explained. "If you don't like the patterns or styles of the rings and bands that fit around each other, there's always the option to have them welded together, which prevents the rings from rubbing together and wearing out." She continued. Kira stared at the many trays lay out on the counter, her eyes wide as she took in the elegant pieces of jewelry. Conner glanced at the rings she seemed to be looking at before turning his head and examining the wedding bands in closer detail. The woman looked over at Kira.

"Do you see any shapes you like?" She questioned, watching Kira's eyes glance at the different diamond cuts before her. Pursing her lips slightly, Kira glanced around again. Her gazed stopped towards the top of the second tray. There, was a beautiful ring with a circular diamond resting between two side stones. Conner noticed Kira peering at a particular ring for an extended time and tore his gaze from the wedding bands to see what had grabbed her attention so thoroughly.

"That one." Kira breathed after a moment, pointing to it. The woman nodded as she carefully pulled the ring from it's casing and gently handed it to Kira.

"That's our tapered baguette ring." She commented, pointing to the rectangular stones on the side of the ring. "Very simplistic, but extremely elegant and classy."

"Its beautiful," Kira commented as she held the ring in her fingers, an excited smile forming on her lips.

"I agree." Conner commented softly as his hand moved to her back and began to move in small circles.

"Is this your final selection, or would you like to keep looking at the other engagement rings?" The woman inquired, wondering if she could put the trays filled with engagement rings away. Giving Kira and the ring a glance, Conner looked back at the attendant.

"I think you're safe to put them away." He chuckled. Kira looked up at Conner and beamed up at him, happy to see his thoughts were on the same page as hers.

"Alright then," the woman smiled as she moved the trays back into the display case.

"Have you thought about the bands?" She directed her question to Conner.

"Yeah, I think so." Conner commented as he pointed to a larger band sitting near the middle of the tray. "Do you have it in a smaller width though?" He quesitoned. "For hers, anyway... I like the thicker band for myself." The woman looked at the ring he was referring to and picked it up to examine it.

"I believe we do," she commented. Her eyes scanned over the tray, looking for a specific ring, before plucking a thinner band that was identical to the one Conner had picked out.

"Ta da." She chuckled. Kira chuckled as well.

"Great," she smiled.

"Do you want to try them on to make sure everything's a good fit?" The attendant questioned.

"Yeah," Conner nodded. The woman nodded.

"Which ones would you like to try first?" She asked.

"The engagement ring." Kira commented as she blushed, eliciting a loud chuckle from Conner.

"Of course," he teased. Kira rolled her eyes.

"Quiet you," she playfully warned. Conner continued to chuckle and took the ring out of her hand, while taking a hold of her left hand with his free hand. He held her hand up and slowly slipped the engagement ring on her finger. Once the ring was secured around her finger, Kira let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. The light bounced off the beautiful piece of jewelry.

"How does it fit?" The woman asked after a moment to let Kira revel in the feel of the ring on her finger.

"It's perfect." Came her soft reply, still mesmerized by the ring.

"Are you sure its not too loose or anything?" Conner asked, wanting to make sure the ring couldn't slip off her finger or wasn't too tight it was uncomfortable for her. Kira blinked a few times to slightly clear the hypnotic hold the beauty of the ring and the sensation of Conner putting it on her had caused and looked up at Conner, processing his question. She ran her thumb around the band to shift the ring and test it's fit. It rotated on her finger a bit, but it was clear the only way it would come off of her finger was if she deliberately took it off, which was something she didn't really have any intention of doing.

"No, it's a perfect fit," she assured him. Conner grinned before pressing a kiss to her forehead quickly.

"Perfect." Kira giggled slightly at the fact that between the two of them they had used the word perfect three times in the last two minutes. She reached over and took a hold of his hand, watching how the ring looked with their fingers intertwined. Conner smiled and tenderly squeezed her hand.

"Wonderful," the woman smiled at the couple. "Shall we move onto the wedding bands, then?" She questioned.

"That'd be great." Conner replied with a nod.

"Great," the woman nodded. She glanced at Kira and gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry, you might need to take that ring off to try on the band," she commented, noting how Kira wasn't rushing to remove the ring any time soon.

"Oh... Right." Kira nodded after a moment. Conner grinned and leaned closer to her to place a kiss on her cheek.

"Just for a few minutes," he softly assured her.

"Okay." She nodded with a slight blush. She slowly released Conner's hand and pulled the ring off. Once the ring was off her finger, she carefully set it down on the counter for safe keeping. The woman smiled as she handed the two wedding bands over to Kira and Conner to try on. Kira took the bigger of the two rings and grabbed his hand, smiling as she slid the ring onto him as he had done with the engagement ring. Conner chuckled and squeezed her hand gently as she settled the ring at the base of his finger. "How does it fit?" Kira gently asked, gently rubbing small circles on the back of his hand with her thumb.

"It's a little loose to be honest." Conner replied.

"That's not a problem," the woman commented. "We can resize the ring once we've determined your right size."

"How long does that take?" Kira questioned. The woman pursed her lips a moment and gazed at the ring on Conner's finger.

"For this design…we can determine your size right now, and have the alteration ready in a week, two weeks at the most, not to mention if you also want inscriptions or anything on the rings," she informed them. "Your lucky, our busiest time of the year with wedding rings is more in May and June, not this month so there aren't a lot of orders to push your resizing back too much," she commented.

"Inscriptions?" Conner questioned raising his eyebrows. "People get things craved into their rings?"

"Oh yes," the woman nodded. "A good portion of our sales are inscribing pieces of jewelry, watches, anything really," she replied. "People tend to inscribe the wedding bands more often than engagement rings, since those of course are worn on a more long term basis," she added, commenting on their particular situation.

"Ah." He nodded.

"Well, let's see about getting your size," the woman commented to move the process along. She reached over and picked up a large hoop that looked like an industrial key ring. On it were different pieces of metals, much like keys, except at the end of each were differently sized circle to symbolize various ring sizes. She glanced at the ring and Conner hand before selecting a ring and holding it out to him to try on. Conner removed the wedding band from his finger and ran his finger through the ring the woman held out. It made it halfway past his second knuckle before not moving another inch.

"I think it's a little small," Conner commented. The woman chuckled and nodded, carefully tugging the ring off of him. She held the keyring in her hands, looking through the other sizes before holding another one out to him. Conner slid his finger through it like he had before. The ring went all the way down.

"How's that?" She asked.

"Not as loose as the band was in the first place, but I could go a size smaller," Conner replied. The woman nodded and pulled the ring off before going down to the next size down.

"Let's try the half a size down first," she commented. Conner moved his finger into the ring once she held it out to him. "Better?" She asked, once the ring went all the way down.

"Yeah," Conner replied. "Perfect fit," he added.

"Fabulous" the woman smiled. She pulled the ring off of him and held it up to see the size etched onto the side of the stem. "Size eleven and a half," she noted to herself aloud.

"You're turn." She commented, giving Kira a smile. She flipped through the different sizes on her key ring to get to the smaller sizes. "The engagement ring is a size seven, but I want to be sure the diamond setting didn't make a tighter fit for you," she commented as she held out the size six and a half ring for Kira to try. Kira nodded and ran her finger through the ring. "Good fit?" She asked.

"It's a little tight, actually," Kira replied. The woman nodded.

"Alright, then I guess size seven it is," she chuckled.

"Great." Kira smiled before looking at Conner. "You have tiny fingers." She giggled.

"Hey, maybe you're the one who has mammoth fingers," he replied with a playful glare.

"Size seven is the normal ring size for a female." The attendant commented, biting back a smile.

"Fine, so my fingers happen to be a little on the skinny side," Conner sighed, rolling his eyes. Kira giggled and kissed his cheek.

"Aw, don't feel bad," she said to comfort him.

"Too late." He grumbled playfully. The woman chuckled and pulled the sizing ring off of Kira's finger before setting the key ring aside.

"I'll go get an order pad to mark down your alteration," she commented to Conner before walking away. Once she was gone, Kira leaned against Conner and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Just so you know, I love you…skinny fingers and all," she grinned. He snorted.

"Salt in the wound." Came his response before he chuckle and draped his arm around her.

"Well, your fingers have never been a problem for me before," she saucily teased, referring to certain activities they had engaged in. Conner groaned.

"Now that's just mean," he replied, his mind going back to the sort of things she was alluding to.

"But honest." She grinned coyly. Conner chuckled and kissed the side of her head as the attendant returned with an official order pad in one hand and a pen in the other. She set the pad onto the counter and picked up the ring Conner had initially tried on to park down its specifics. She set the ring down and filled out more information into the pad before looking up at the couple.

"What name would you like this to be filed under?" She asked.

"Conner McKnight," Conner replied. The woman nodded and filled in his name at the top of the sheet.

"And will you want any inscriptions on the bands or engagement ring?" She asked.

"Could we have a minute?" Kira questioned looking up at her soon to be husband.

"Sure." The attendant replied before walking away. Conner glanced down at Kira.

"What's up?" He questioned, cupping her cheek softly. Kira smiled and stroked the back of the hand on her cheek.

"I was just thinking…maybe we can have an inscription put on the wedding rings," she replied. "Nothing too long of course, since I'm sure they charge by the letter or something," she added before shrugging. "But something important to us," she concluded.

"Well... I think the date we met is a given." Conner smiled softly. Kira's smile widened.

"True," she replied.

"And..." He trailed off.. "I'm thinking that I want to put our nicknames on each other's rings as well." Kira grinned.

"So, I'd have 'Jock' on my finger, and you'd have 'Rockstar' on yours?" She asked. Conner grinned back at her and shrugged.

"That way, we'll always be with one another…even when we're not, physically," he commented.

"Which won't happen." She replied softly. Conner smiled and leaned closer to lightly kiss her lips.

"I was actually talking about just being in different rooms, or running errands separately or something," he lovingly teased.

"I hope so." Kira blushed. Conner grinned and kissed her again. The attendant returned a few moments later.

"Have you two decided?" She questioned.

"Yes," Conner replied. "We'd like inscriptions on both wedding bands," he replied. The woman nodded.

"Alright," she commented. She flipped the sheet she had previously been writing on over the pad to present the second page, which was for inscriptions. She turned the pad towards Conner and Kira and handed them the pen. Conner let Kira take the pen and write down what they each wanted for their bands. Kira wrote out what she wanted on her ring in the space provided, before moving down a few lines and writing out what Conner wanted in his ring. She made sure to write clearly to ensure there wouldn't be any mistakes in the inscriptions and handed the pad back to the attendant before picking her engagement ring back up from the counter and slipping it back on her finger.

"We're almost done." The woman commented as she tore off the piece of paper and taped it to the box that now held their wedding bands. "Do you want to have your engagement ring welded to your band? Or would you prefer to keep them seperate?"

"Would we need to do that now?" Kira asked, worried she wouldn't be able to wear her ring as soon as possible as she had thought. The attendant shook her head.

"No, we could do that whenever you wanted," she replied. "Either closer to your wedding, or some time after. But if you put in for that service now, I can give you a discounted price on the welding cost," she explained.

"Um... sure." Kira nodded after a moment. The woman nodded and retrieved the paper from the box to make a quick note of Kira's decision before putting it back with the wedding bands.

"Alright... Now we just need to settle the bill." She smiled.

"What's the damage?" Conner questioned as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.

"Well it depends." The woman commented as she led them over to the lone till in the store. "Did you want to pay for only the engagement ring and down payment on the bands? Or, everything?"

"Uh, I guess…pay for the engagement ring and put a down payment on the bands," he replied after a moment.

"Do you want me to wait outside?" Kira questioned softly, rubbing circles on his back.

"Okay," Conner nodded. She pressed a soft kiss to Conner's cheek and squeezed his hand before exiting the store, giving him privacy to pay for her ring. She waited for Conner on the edge of the curb, taking the time to admire the way her ring glittered in the sun. Her wait was fairly short, as Conner exited the store a few moments later.

"Everything okay?" She asked as Conner moved closer to her.

"Everything's great." He smiled, holding his hand out to her. "Why?" Kira shrugged as she took hold of his hand.

"I don't know, I was worried that everything came out to be too expensive or something," she commented.

"Nothing's too expensive for you Rockstar." He murmured quietly. Kira sighed and leaned against his side.

"If you say so, Jock," she replied.

"Does that bother you?" Conner carefully asked. Kira shook her head before tilting it to rest on his shoulder as they walked back to his car.

"No, it's nice," she assured him, smiling softly. "I just don't want your sweet and romantic acts put you…well, actually, us…in the poor house," she teased.

"I don't think we need to worry about going into the poor house." He murmured softly. "I... didn't buy the ring with our money." Kira's brow furrowed and she stopped walking to look at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "You have a bundle of Tiffany's coupons I didn't know about or something?" She asked.

"Not exactly." He replied as he stopped beside her. "Before Ethan died, he and I had a chat... About you and me... He basically said that if we ever got our shit together and ended up wanting to get married... He'd cover the costs for your engagement ring and our wedding bands." Kira stared at him in wide eyed shock for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Conner nodded slowly as she said nothing. "I kinda figured this would be your reaction." He murmured.

"…Wh…Why would Ethan do that?" She finally sputtered, still shocked. Conner sighed.

"The same reason he kept hounding me to call you. He wanted us to work out, and believed we would if I actually reached out to you," he replied.

"...But why the rings?" She questioned a few moments later, still trying to wrap her head around it. Conner chuckled.

"It was the only thing I would let him do….after constant bugging from him," he replied. "He wanted to pay for some big wedding, or a house or something. I told him he was being crazy, and he changed tactics and went for the rings."

"Oh my god." She breathed.

"Yeah," Conner replied.

"Wow..." Kira breathed. A sudden and overwhelming wave of sadness crashed over her, as tears began to burn her eyes.

"Kira…" Conner murmured, his heart wrenching at the sight of her tears.

"Sorry." She whispered as the tears began to slip down her cheeks. Conner stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I miss him." Kira managed to choke out as she began to sob, her hands gripping Conner's shirt tightly.

"Me too," Conner murmured, holding her tighter. He slowly began to rub her back as she continued to cry against him.

"It's okay Kir." He murmured softly as her cries began to slow down. "It's okay." After some time, her tears subsided.

"Sorry." She murmured again.

"You don't have anything to apologize for," Conner replied as he continued to rub her back.

"It's... I miss him so much." Kira sighed as she pulled away slightly and brushed away her tears. "Damn wedding hormones."

"I don't think I've ever heard of wedding hormones," Conner smiled.

"Hush." She chided, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. Conner lightly kissed her forehead.

"Do you want to head back to the house, or keep shopping?" He asked.

"I wanna keep shopping." She replied slowly.

"Okay," Conner nodded, running his thumb across her cheek to wipe away one of her tears. Kira sighed.

"I don't look all splotchy and weird, do I?" She asked. Conner smiled.

"You could never look weird, Rockstar," he tenderly murmured.

"Not helping Conner." She replied, giving him a gentle poke in the chest. Conner grinned.

"I'm sorry," he replied. "And to answer your question, no, you're not splotchy." Came his comment.

"Thank you," Kira smiled, taking a deep breath to fully calm herself.

"You're welcome." He murmured softly as he kissed her. Kira slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Slowly, Conner pulled away after a moment and squeezed her gently.

"Ready to go shopping?"

"Yeah," Kira replied, giving him a small smile.

"Good." Grinning, he pulled his arms away and held his hand out to her. Kira's smile grew and she took hold of his hand. They slowly walked back to the car and climbed in. "I figured I'd move the car around to the other side." Conner commented as he began to manuever the car across the parking lot away from Tiffany's.

"Sounds like a good plan," Kira smiled at him.

"I have them occasionally." He chuckled as he pulled into another parking spot.

"Occasionally?" Kira replied, quirking an eyebrow. "I thought it was more like….Some times, or rarely," she teased.

"You suck." Conner laughed as he climbed out of the vehicle. Kira giggled as she got out of the car as well.

"But you love me anyway," she teased.

"I dunno... My fiancée is insulting my intelligence."

"Aww," Kira cooed as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I was just messing with ya," she smiled.

"I know." Conner chuckled as he kissed her temple. "Where do you wanna start?"

"Hmm, Old Navy?" Kira decided, seeing the store right in front of them.

"Sure." He smiled down at her. "And then?"

"I should probably go to a shoe store, since all I have here is one pair of sneakers," she commented.

"Uh huh? Anywhere else?" He questioned.

"Hmm….Gap?" She replied.

"Really?" Conner questioned. "You're avoiding the one store I know we should be going into."

"Oh? And what store is that?" Kira asked, a smile forming on her lips as she had a pretty good idea of what store he was talking about.

"Something to do with a secret that Victoria is keeping..." Conner grinned. "Ever heard of it?" Kira giggled.

"How did I know you would want to find out about good ole Vicky's secret?" She teased.

"You know me too well." He chuckled. Kira giggled again and rolled her eyes.

"I guess I should get some everyday items," she mused. "But don't think I'm getting our…honeymoon items right now," she commented.

"Oh?" Conner asked, pouting slightly. "Why's that?" Kira grinned.

"Well, if you're with me when I get them, they won't be a surprise," she pointed out.

"Who says they need to be a surprise?" He replied cheekily.

"I do," Kira replied just as cheekily.

"How unfair." Conner pouted. Kira chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, maybe I'll get one honeymoon item today, since waiting makes you so disappointed," she teased.

"Excellent." Leaning over, he kissed her quickly. "I need to make a stop once we're done shopping, okay?"

"Oh?" Kira asked, curious.

"Mmhmm." He nodded.

"Where?" Kira asked.

"A pet store." Conner stated as they walked into Old Navy and began to browse the isles.

"A pet store?" Kira asked, confused.

"Mmhmm." Came his response.

"Why are we stopping at a pet store?" Kira questioned as she browsed through a rack of jeans.

"You'll see." Conner grinned softly as he tickled her side lightly. Kira squirmed and playfully swatted his hand. Chuckling, Conner headed towards the men's section.

"Where are you going?" Kira asked as he moved away from her. Conner smiled.

"Just browsing the men's clothing." Came his response.

"Oh, okay," Kira replied. "Should I come find you later, or do we meet up at the cash register?" She asked as she picked up a pair of jeans in her size.

"I'll see you in a few minutes." He laughed. "I just want a new pair of jeans, shorts and a few shirts."

"Okay," Kira replied as she moved to look at a different style of jeans. They both perused the store for nearly an hour before the couple moved to the cash to check out.

"Happy with your items?" Conner questioned as she leaned against him and closed her eyes.

"Yeah," she smiled.

"Good." He kissed her cheek softly as the cashier called them over. The two moved to the open register and loaded their items onto the counter.

"Find everything okay?" The chipper young girl questioned as she began to ring everything through.

"Yeah," Kira replied as Conner nodded his agreement to her statement.

"Great." It only took her a few moments to ring everything up and bag it before she totaled everything together. "$259.87." She commented. Conner pulled his wallet out of his pocket and slid his credit card out to hand to the girl. Wordlessly, the cashier rang his credit card through before handing it back to him and asking him to sign the recipt. Conner quickly signed the slip and pushed it back to her. "Have a nice day," she smiled as the two gathered up their bags from the counter.

"You too." Conner replied as he grabbed the bags. He and Kira walked out of the store together. "Do you want to put the bags in the car before we go to the next store?" He asked.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." She agreed. Conner nodded and led the way back to the car. Once they reached their parking spot, Conner set his bags down to fish his keys out of his pocket. He stuck them into the trunk and popped it to put their bags into the trunk. It only took a couple of minutes to load the bags in and slam the trunk shut.

"Ready?" Kira smiled up at him.

"Yup," Conner smiled, slipping his arm around her shoulders as they walked towards the next store. They repeated the process twice before finally heading toward Victoria's Secret.

"I think you're a little too eager to go in here," Kira teased as they headed towards the entrance to the store.

"You got a problem with that?" Conner chuckled. Kira giggled and shook her head.

"Good." He leaned down and kissed her again softly. Kira continued to giggle as Conner held the door open for her. Smiling, Kira wandered into the store and began to browse through the items. Conner simply grinned as he followed her through the store.

"Anything catching your eye?" He asked after a while.

"I don't know, maybe," she coyly replied. "Anything catching yours?" She teased.

"A lot of things." He nodded, reaching out and touching one of the flimsy garments. "Although, I've gotta say... You probably won't be wearing much of it for long." Kira chuckled.

"Oh really?" She teased as she picked up a cotton yellow bra in her size.

"Mmhmm." Conner nodded with a grin. Kira chuckled as she grabbed a few more everyday selections.

"I guess I shouldn't get anything too expensive, just in case you accidentally rip it or something," she quietly teased.

"I'll be careful." He commented huskily as he leered at her. Kira blushed slightly as she moved deeper into the store to look at more intricate pieces of lingerie. She stopped in front of one piece that was mostly red, with black lace adorning the chest and edges of the flyaway front. Carefully, she lifted the hanger off the rack and faced Conner.

"Thoughts?" Conner grinned.

"I like it," he replied.

"Only like?" She questioned. "Then you pick out something you love." Giving her a cheeky grin, Conner began to examine the items closer. Nearly ten minutes later he pulled an item off the rack and showed it to her.

"This, I love." He leered. The entire piece was black. The top was a front closure corset, with a lace-up back. Kira walked closer to him and took the garment from his grasp to have a closer look at it.

"Sexy." She murmured softly.

"My thoughts exactly," Conner huskily murmured.

"I guess we'll get it then." Kira commented as a deep blush began to cover her cheeks.

"Good," Conner grinned. Still blushing, Kira turned away and continued to examine the items around her. She noted a few items to try on when she came back to find items for the wedding, but other then that, didn't see anything that tickled her fancy.

"I'll just go try these on," Kira commented as she scanned the store for the fitting rooms for a moment. She made a small "ah" sound before heading towards the back corner of the store.

"Have fun." Conner replied as she moved away. He turned his attention back to the items around him and began to picture what Kira might look like wearing them... Which ultimately led to him picturing her out of the flimsy items. His thoughts brought on a physical reaction, which made Conner groan slightly to himself. He decided to move away from the lingerie and clear his mind, before he was tempted to 'forget' he and Kira needed to wait some more time before engaging in any particular activity. Conner moved over to one of the displays filled with one of the store's fragrance lines, passively glancing at the bottles of perfume, lotion, and other items to get his mind out of the proverbial gutter. He was extremely thankful when Kira reappeared from the dressing room a few moments later.

"Everrything fit okay?" Conner asked. Kira chuckled at how interested he was in her lingerie purchases and nodded.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Good." Smiling, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Kira replied as the two moved over to join the line by the cash registers. Once they had been called forward, Kira placed her items on the counter, while Conner pulled out his wallet again. The woman behind the counter gave them a friendly smile as she rang up Kira's purchases.

"Did you see anything else you'd like?" The woman questioned.

"No, I think that's enough for now, thanks," Kira replied.

"Alright, that'll be $98.34 then please." She smiled, and Conner wordlessly handed over his credit card to the attendant. The attendant ran Conner's car and waited for the credit receipt to print out. She handed the card back to him before sliding the receipt and a pen to him as well. Quickly, he scribbled his name along the bottom and tucked the card back into his wallet. The attendant bagged Kira's items and handed over the two pink shopping bags. Reaching out, Conner took the bags from her and transfered them to one hand, before looping his arm around Kira's waist. Kira smiled and leaned into Conner's side as they walked out of the store together.

"Happy with our purchases so far?" He questioned as they walked in a lazy pace towards his car.

"Yeah," Kira replied, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Getting tired?" Conner asked softly as he rubbed her side gently.

"A little, I guess," Kira replied.

"We'll be home after one last stop." Came his response. "And after that we can nap."

"Okay," Kira agreed. The two stopped at the car so Conner could drop the bags off in the trunk with the rest of Kira's purchases. Once the trunk was locked once again, he led Kira over to the small pet store at the edge of the strip mall. Once they reached the store, Conner held open the door and let Kira walk in first. He guided them over to a nearby counter where a middle aged man was standing.

"Hi, I'm here to pick-up some items." Conner commented as they stopped in front of the counter. The man looked up at Conner and nodded.

"Name please?" He asked.

"McKnight," he replied. The man nodded and typed up Conner's name into the computer beside the register.

"Looks like everything is in for you." He commented as he began to print things off. "I'll go get them and be right back."

"Thanks," Conner smiled as the man stepped out from behind the counter and wandered off towards the door that led to the backroom of the store.

"What's he going to get?" Kira questioned as she moved slightly and rested her head against Conner's chest, closing her eyes.

"You'll see," Conner grinned, not wanting to ruin the surprise.

"I don't like surprises." She pouted softly. Her comments fell on deaf ears as the man returned, holding a small, barking bundle in his arms. "Oh my god." She breathed. In the man's arm was a tiny black and white Siberian husky puppy. Conner tilted his head downwards to see Kira's reaction, and as if on cue, the tiny puppy gave a small bark, causing Kira to have an aww moment. The man smiled and brought the puppy over to the counter as one of the young employee's of the store emerged from the room, a large brown shopping bag in one hand, and a dog carrier in the other. He followed his boss over to the counter and set the bag and carrier down beside just as the middle aged man set the dog onto the counter.

"Here you are ." The gentleman commented. "She's 9 weeks old, has had all her shots and is ready for you to take her home."

"She's ours?" Kira asked, glancing up at Conner with wide eyes. Conner grinned and nodded. Before Kira could respond, the puppy emitted a small bark to get some attention. Kira smiled at the dog and reached over, lightly petting the small puppy's head.

"Aren't you precious?" Kira questioned as she moved closer and scooped the small dog into her arms. The puppy panted excitedly as she squirmed in Kira's arms to lean up and lick Kira's cheek. Laughing, Kira scratched the puppy behind the ears and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. Conner's grin widened as he saw how quickly Kira and the puppy seemed to bond. As Conner watched them, the middle aged man picked up the bag and carrier from the floor and set them on the counter.

"We also have the carrier, and your leash, food dish, and dog bed are here in the bag," he commented. "If you'd like to pick out some toys for your little girl, you can pick them out over there," the man smiled as he pointed to a nearby wall that was loaded with various dog toys.

"I'll be right back." He commented, moving to grab a few toys. Kira continued to snuggle the small excited puppy in her arms.

"She seems to like you." The man commented with a chuckle. Kira giggled and scratched the puppy behind the ears.

"She's so adorable," Kira stated. The puppy barked appreciatively in response. A few moments later, Conner returned with a shopping basket in his hand. The cart held various dog toys, a bag of puppy treats, a larger bag of puppy chow, and a few cans of wet food. Kira chuckled. "I thought you were just getting a few toys," she commented. Conner smiled and placed the basket on the counter so the man could ring up all of the purchases.

"I was, but then I saw all the other things our little girl would need," he shrugged as he reached over and rubbed the puppy's belly.

"Would need? Or that you wanted to spoil her with?" Kira giggled, and the puppy barked in agreement. Conner grinned.

"Both?" He offered.

"You're horrible." Kira laughed. As the two new dog owners bantered back and forth, the owner of the store rang up all of Conner's purchases.

"Alright." He commented, grabbing Conner's attention. "That's going to be $874.22" He stated. Conner nodded and pulled his wallet out to hand over his credit card. "Alright Mr. McKnight... Looks like we're all settled up and you're good to go. Enjoy your new puppy and please do come back if you need anything or have any questions."

"Thanks," Conner smiled. He waited until the man placed the additional purchases into the large brown bag before picking it and the carrier up off the counter. Since Kira had her hands full with their new puppy, the man quickly walked out from behind the counter and ahead of the couple to hold the door open for them.

"Thanks." Conner grinned as they exited the store. The man waved to them as the couple left.

"She's gorgeous Conner." Kira commented softly as they walked back to his car.

"I knew you'd love her," Conner smiled.

"She needs a name though." Kira replied as they stopped at the car and Conner began to load their items into the trunk.

"Do you have any ideas?" Conner asked.

"I'm not sure." Came her response. Once Conner loaded the bag and the carrier into the trunk, he slammed it shut and moved over to open the passenger door for Kira so she could get into the car with their puppy still in her arms.

"Thank you." She smiled as she slid into the car. Once Kira was settled in the car, Conner closed the door for her. Kira set the dog on her lap so she could pull her seatbelt on. The puppy began to move on Kira's lap, turning in circles before she stopped, sat and faced Kira. Kira fastened her seatbelt and smiled as the puppy stared at her, her tiny tongue hanging out the side of her mouth. Conner climbed into the driver's seat and chuckled at the sight.

"You two are cute." He laughed. Kira smiled and wrapped her arms around the puppy to make sure she stayed on her lap as Conner started up the car. The ride back to the house was short compared to their trip out. Kira grinned and held the puppy closer to her.

"We're almost at your new home, sweetie," she affectionately commented to the dog. The puppy barked and licked Kira's hands. Kira giggled at the tickling sensation the licking caused. Conner smiled and pulled into the driveway outside the house.

"We're home ladies." He chuckled.

"Yay," Kira cheered. Conner chuckled and got out of the car to open Kira's door for her.

"Ready to meet your Uncle Trent?" Kira quietly asked the puppy as Conner pulled her door open. The dog barked in response, her little tail wagging.

"Do you want me to hold her so you can get your seatbelt off?" Conner asked.

"Sure." Came her response as she carefully handed the puppy to Conner. Conner took the dog from Kira and held her close as Kira unbuckled her seatbelt. The puppy didn't seem too bothered by the change and just continued her excited little pants.

"Looks like someone loves her daddy." Kira giggled as she climbed out of the car. Conner chuckled and petted the dog's back.

"That's very good," he replied as Kira shut the car door.

"Yes it is." Kira smiled. Conner leaned closer to her and placed a light kiss on Kira's lips.

"Here, give me the princess and you can carry the heavy stuff." She giggled as Conner pulled away from the kiss.

"Of course," Conner chuckled as he handed the puppy back to Kira. Once back in her arms, the dog licked Kira's arms and continued to pant happily. Kira giggled as the dog's tongue tickled her arm. Conner smiled and walked around to the back of the car to begin unloading the trunk. Once he had unloaded everything, Conner closed the trunk and began to pull their purchases into his arms.

"You're going to have to make a few trips," Kira commented as she saw how many bags were at his feet. Conner shrugged as he picked up the dog carrier and one of Kira's shopping bags.

"I'll ask Trent for some help," he replied as he and Kira walked up the driveway.

"Speaking of which, how do we know that Trent isn't allergic to dogs?" She questioned as they moved towards the house.

"I asked him beforehand, he's not," Conner replied as they reached the door. He set the shopping bag down to fish his keys out.

"Trent knew?" Kira asked, surprised as Conner opened the door.

"Well yeah." Came his response as he bent down and picked the bag up. "Needed to make sure that he was okay with dogs."

"Yeah, that does make sense," Kira agreed, realizing Trent would have had to know. She nudged the door the rest of the way open with her hip as she carried the puppy inside and Conner followed.

"Glad you agree." He commented cheekily.

"Hush Jock." Kira teased. "Trent! We're home!" She called out. A moment later, Trent walked in from the kitchen.

"Hey guys, welcome home." He commented. "So is this the new baby?" He teased.

"Yup," Kira smiled, snuggling the puppy closer to her chest. "This is the precious little baby," she gushed.

"You were right Conner." Trent laughed. "She's in love with the dog." Kira simply smiled and moved to sit on the couch with the dog on her lap. Conner smiled at the sight as Kira snuggled and petted the dog before looking at Trent.

"Would you mind helping me get the rest of the bags in?" He asked.

"Sure man." He replied with a grin.

"Thanks," Conner said before the two walked out to the car. It took three trips for the two to finally get all the bags in, after which Conner shut and locked the door.

"I think your dog is spoiled rotten." Trent commented as they set the last load on the floor in the front hallway.

"And what's wrong with that?" Kira asked. Trent laughed and shook his head.

"Nothing. Hey, I'm a dad, I get the whole concept of spoiling someone rotten," he replied. Conner chuckled and picked up the brown bag from the pet store. He moved into the living room and sat down beside Kira to pull the contents out of the bag and place them on the coffee table.

"So where's the dog gonna sleep?" Trent questioned as he flopped into the lazyboy across from them.

"I was thinking we'd put the dog bed in our room," Kira commented, giving Conner a sideways glance.

"Oh?" Conner questioned.

"Yeah, if that's okay," Kira carefully replied.

"Well, as long as the kids aren't always sleeping in our bed." He teased. Kira grinned at that.

"Have you two thought of a name yet?" Trent interjected.

"We're still thinking," Kira replied as she rubbed the dog's belly.

"Don't rush into it." He teased lightly. Kira stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, I want to find the right name," she replied.

"It's a dog Kira," Trent shook his head as he laughed. "Not a child." Kira rolled her eyes.

"I know that," she replied.

"Then just give her a name." Came his response. "Maggie, Pookie, Grace, something."

"If you're going to rush me, I'll just take her upstairs," Kira playfully threatened. Trent just shrugged in reply.

"Its not rocket science, Kira," Trent commented.

"I know it's not." She defended. "I just want her to have a good name."

"Are any names sticking out in your head?" Conner asked as he pulled the plastic wrap off of one of the dog toys.

"A couple." Kira nodded after a moment.

"Such as?" Trent curiously asked.

"I've always liked Vespa." She offered as Conner finished pulling the toy out of the package and moved it towards the puppy. He squeezed the toy to emit a small squeaking noise that instantly grabbed the puppy's attention. Slowly, Kira released her hold on the dog as she tentatively moved towards Conner who squeaked the toy again. The dog slowly patted the short distance on the couch between Kira and Conner, her head cocked to the side as she regarded the toy curiously. Conner smiled and made the toy squeak for a third time as the pup grew closer. Once she was close enough, she leaned forward and took hold of the toy with her teeth, causing it to squeak once again. Conner chuckled as the dog shook the toy and it squeaked yet again, before she dropped it into his lap and glanced up at him.

"Hi baby." He commented softly as he picked the toy up. "Wanna play?" He waved the toy in front of her, causing the excited puppy to yap and wag her tail, her eyes fixating on the toy in Conner's hand.

"Go get it!" He laughed as he tossed the toy away and the dog bounded off the couch towards it. Kira giggled as the dog sprinted to the corner of the room and gripped the toy in her teeth, shaking her head vigourously as more squeaks filled the air. After a few moments she carried the toy back to Conner and dropped it at his feet.

"Apparently she wants to play." Kira continued to giggle. Conner laughed and picked the toy up from the floor.

"Looks like it," he replied. He tossed the toy away again. The puppy barked happily and went after it.

"So, any other names floating around in your head?" Conner asked Kira.

"I'm thinking Isis is another one I like..." She shrugged. "What about you?" The puppy scrambled back to Conner, shaking the toy as she ran back, eager to continue their game.

"I like Isis," Conner commented after thinking about it for a moment.

"Me too... But does she?" Kira questioned, glancing down at their latest addition. The puppy dropped the toy at Conner's feet. Instead of picking it up and throwing it again, Conner reached down and scooped the dog onto his lap.

"Let's see," he said as he held her under her front legs up to his face. "What do you think, precious?" He asked. "Do you like the name Isis?" He asked. The puppy gave a small bark and licked the tip of his nose.

"I think she approves." He laughed. Kira giggled.

"Apparently," she replied. She shifted closer to Conner and reached over to scratch the pup behind her ears.

"Hi Isis." Kira cooed softly. Isis barked and wagged her little tail in response.

"Hey, let's see your ring." Trent commented, breaking the silence after a few moments. Kira looked over at her friend and smiled.

"Oh, alright," she replied with a playful roll of her eyes. She shifted closer to the other end of the couch and held her left hand out to Trent. Slowly, he reached over and grasped her fingers and examined the ring before glancing back up.

"It's gorgeous." He smiled. Kira's smile widened as she nodded happily.

After a short while, while discussing plans for their upcoming wedding, Kira began to yawn, and relaxed against Conner.

"Sleepy?" Conner asked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"A little yeah." She replied. "I think I'm gonna take some pills and have a nap." Conner frowned.

"Were you feeling sore?" He worriedly asked. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"It wasn't too bad." She shrugged in reply. "Just more noticeable now." Conner held her closer and kissed her forehead.

"Alright," he replied. "Do you want to take Isis with you?" He asked, looking down at the puppy who had curled up on the empty side of the couch. "I think she's tuckered out," he chuckled. Kira grinned.

"Well, she did have a big day…new home and all," she said. She lightly patted the couch cushion beside her to beckon the dog closer. Isis lifted her head and slowly walked closer to Kira. Once Isis was within reach, Kira scooped her up in her arms. "Guess baby can nap with mommy," she smiled. Conner chuckled.

"Just for now, until daddy sets up baby's bed," he playfully added, gesturing to the medium sized puppy bed the man at the pet store had sold to them.

"Well... We'll see." Kira giggled. She stood up from the couch with Isis in her arms.

"Do you want me to bring you up a bottle of water for your pills?" Conner offered.

"Naw, I've got it." Came her response as she moved towards the kitchen.

"Alright," Conner said.

"See you both in a bit." Kira commented as she returned to the living room before departing upstairs, dog and water in hand. Once upstairs, Kira moved to the bed and set Isis down before gently setting her bottle of water on the nightstand. She kicked her shoes off and pulled the bottle of pain killers out of the nightstand. She shook a few into her hand and tossed them back with a sip of water before moving to the dresser to grab clean PJ's. Isis stayed perched on the bed and as Kira changed and dropped her clothes in the hamper. As she made her way back over to the bed, the puppy stood up and wagged her tail excitedly. "Hi princess." Kira cooed as she knelt on the bed. Isis scurried closer to Kira and nuzzled her snout against Kira's hand to encourage her to pet her. "Aww." She laughed as she ran her hands over the puppy's soft fur. "Whose the baby?" Isis barked lightly, as if to say 'me! I'm the baby!' Kira laughed and scratched her behind her ears as she shifted on the bed to stretch out on her side. "Are you gonna be a good girl and have a nap with your mommy?" Kira questioned as Isis rolled onto her back for Kira to scratch her belly. Isis stretched out on her back, enjoying the belly rub. After a few moments Isis rolled over to lie closer to Kira. The puppy seemed do have gotten the message that Kira intended to sleep, because she quietly relaxed next to her owner. "Good girl." Kira smiled as she adjusted herself on the bed. Kira wrapped an arm around the dog in a loose hold and laid her head on her pillow to usher herself into slumber.


	26. A Surprise Visit

"What do you think of these two?" Kira asked as she held up two dresses in the store. A week had passed since she and Conner had brought Isis home. Isis had taken to her new family fairly easily. There had been some close calls on the carpets in the house, indicating the dog hadn't been completely house broken, but after a piddle incident on the—thankfully—carpet-less laundry room; Conner, Kira and even Trent, had picked up on the signs on when Isis was about ready to not wait to be let outside, and ready with a firm "no" to correct the behavior. It was still touch and go, but she was beginning to learn. That very morning, Isis had plopped down by the front door and barked, telling them she wanted to be let out. Kira had left the house to meet with Jiao and go shopping, hoping Isis's new behavior would stick.

Jiao looked up from idly looking at things in the store, her expression a mixture of sour and bored, and shrugged at the two white summer dresses Kira was holding up. "They're okay," she replied.

"Which do you think is more 'okay'?" Kira sighed, trying to get Jiao's opinion. The younger ranger shrugged again. "Helpful," Kira muttered.

"I told you that you should have asked Hayden." Jiao replied. "The amount I know about fashion probably wouldn't fill a thimble." Kira sighed.

"I'm not asking for a fashion expert's opinion," she countered. "It's just a simple question….which looks better?" She asked. Jiao rolled her eyes, realizing Kira wasn't going to let it go. She heaved a heavy sigh and looked closely at the two dresses. The first dress was a satin tea-length grown with box pleats that fell mid-calf. The draped bodice was very eye catching, and had a brooch on the side, resting right under the ribcage. The second was equally as beautiful with a sweetheart neckline and empire waist accented with a satin band and floral detail. It looked to hang around the same length but seemed to be flowier. Sighing, she shook her head. "Guess I'll try them both on." Kira muttered to herself. Jiao shrugged again.

"Sorry," she replied. Kira shook her head again.

"I'll go find a dressing room, why don't you find a dress for yourself?" She asked.

"Dress?" came the reply before Jiao shook her head. "No way."

"What do you mean, no way?" Kira sighed, not thrilled that Jiao was beginning to be difficult. "What did you think you'd we wearing as my maid of honor?"

"You never said anything about a dress." Jiao replied in a somewhat aggravated tone.

"You said you were a bridesmaid at your brother's wedding," Kira pointed out. "I thought you'd figure a dress was a given."

"My brother's wedding was some big smancy country club wedding in Connecticut," Jiao replied. She shrugged. "I figured, this being a little courthouse thing…it wouldn't be like that," she commented.

"I'm not saying that you have to wear full taffeta if that's what you're worried about." Kira sighed. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Well that's a relief," she muttered. She heaved a resigned sigh. "Fine, what color?" She dejectedly asked. Kira shrugged.

"It's not like you have a load of other bridesmaids to match with, pick whatever color you like. Just not white."

"Well, duh," Jiao replied. Rolling her eyes, Kira moved into the dressing room.

"Just find one."

"Aye, aye, Bridezilla," Jiao sighed as she moved to look at a rack of bridesmaid dresses.

"I heard that," Kira replied before shutting the door to her dressing room. Kira came out a few minutes later and checked her reflection in the mirror, and spotted Jiao wandering back towards the dressing room. "Did you find something?" She asked. Jiao held up a hanger that held a short strapless watermelon colored dress. Towards where the bodice met the skirt, the dress's satin material bunched up at the right side, where the skirt had a stylish bunched and wrinkled look to it.

"It was the less of all evils," Jiao muttered, as if needing to explain her choice.

"It looks nice," Kira replied, "try it on."

"Yes mom." She commented, rolling her eyes. Kira rolled her eyes as Jiao disappeared into the empty dressing room beside the one Kira was using. Once Jiao shut the door, Kira reverted her attention back to her reflection. She closely looked at the chiffon dress she had tried on and frowned slightly, not completely sold on the look.

"I'm going to try the other dress on, let me know if you need me to zip you up or something," Kira called out to Jiao as she walked back into her dressing room.

"Uh huh." Came the response. Next door, Jiao toed off her shoes and stripped out of her jeans, shirt and bra. She kicked her clothes to the side and pulled the dress off of its hanger to try it on. She held the bodice up on her chest with one hand while she tried to zip herself up with the other. After a few tries, she realized she would need an extra set of hands. "I need your services as a zipper upper," Jiao commented loud enough for Kira to hear.

"Alright, I'll be out in a sec," Kira replied. Jiao figured he might as well wait for Kira outside of the dressing room, since there hadn't been many people out there at this time of day. She held the dress securely over her front and moved to exit the dressing room. She lowered her chin down to her chest to assist her in holding the dress up with one hand while the other turned the knob on the door. She shuffled out of the room, her chin still on her chest, and situated herself by the mirror Kira had used before. She figured she'd need it as soon as Kira zipped her up anyway, so might as well wait for the bride to be there.

"Are you almost ready? I'm standing out here flashing my back to god knows who," Jiao commented.

"And what a lovely back it is," a smooth low and familiar voice commented. Jiao gasped and spun around. The front of her dress slipped slightly before she quickly clung onto it to keep from displaying all of her breasts. Her eyes grew wide at who she saw once she had turned around. There, on one of the velvet arm chairs situated in the dressing room area was one of the top five people she never would've thought to see in Dallas, Texas-Byron Pak, the former love of her life.

"R…Ronnie?" She choked out, as she took in the sight of her ex boyfriend. Byron's small smile grew into a full grin as he leaned forward in the chair and stood up. His cream colored khaki pants made light swishing sound as he walked across the carpeted floor towards her.

"Hi J.J." He commented as he stopped in front of her. Jiao sucked in a deep breath, inhaling a lungful of his cologne. She remembered that smell. It was cologne she had gotten him for his twentieth birthday. Her heart hammered in her chest as she felt her head begin to swim. She nervously raised the front of her dress to just under her neck. "Hey," Byron spoke, his tone somewhat amused. "No need to cover up on my account. It's nothing I've never seen before," he cheekily added. Jiao swallowed thickly and blinked a few times, trying to figure out if this was some sort of mirage.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" She squeaked out.

"I'm in town for a conference." He replied. He gave her the soft smile that used to always make her practically melt. Unfortunately, the years since their breakup had done little to nothing to change that fact. "Your sister told me where you're working so I stopped by there. Your boss told me you were off taking an extended lunch break to go dress shopping." He chuckled. "Once my mind was done exploding over that bit of news, I meandered on over here," he grinned. "Want me to zip you up?" He asked. Jiao blinked a few times as she processed his words.

"Uh…N…no…My….uh…friend…will do that…." She cast a sideways glance towards the door. "If she gets out here before the end of time," she all but growled.

"Here I am." Kira announced a moment later as she moved out of the dressing room in her second choice dress.

"Finally," Jiao lowly replied. She quickly aimed her back towards Kira. "Zip me up, now."

"A please wouldn't hurt," Kira commented as she stepped closer to Jiao and pulled the zipper up.

"Please." Jiao snapped. Byron smirked as Jiao's flushed face practically matched her dress.

"Still working on those people skills of yours, I see," he good naturedly joked.

"Shut up." Came the snarled reply. Byron simply chuckled. Kira regarded the two with a quizzical gaze as she finished zipping up Jiao's dress.

"There, you're zipped," she commented as she moved to stand beside Jiao.

"Thank you," Jiao grumbled as she adjusted the front of her dress. Kira stood by for a few moments, waiting for Jiao to do some sort of introductions. After a moment Byron stepped forward and held his hand out to her.

"Byron Pak. J.J. and I are….old friends," he said, introducing himself.

"Oh," Kira replied, shaking his hand. "Hi. Kira Ford," she replied.

"I know who you are." He nodded, giving her a smile. Jiao nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat.

"Are we done here?" She asked Kira, feeling like she needed to get away from Byron as soon as possible.

"Are you happy with your dress?" She questioned.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's fine," Jiao rushed to reply. Byron chuckled.

"J.J's never been a big fan of shopping…especially dress shopping," he commented. "Didn't your mom have to bribe you with a new laptop to get you to get your dress for Kai's wedding?" He asked. Jiao gave him a slight glare.

"I don't remember," she replied.

"Sure you don't." He teased. Jiao narrowed her eyes at him for a moment.

"How's Ivy doing?" She asked in an icy tone. Byron's face fell slightly as he looked away.

"Uh….she's…okay," he replied. Jiao nodded.

"Well, that's just great. Tell her I said hi," she insincerely replied. She looked back at Kira, effectively turning her back on Byron. "So, is that the dress you're getting or not? I need to get back to work."

"Yeah, I think I'm getting it." Kira replied slowly.

"Awesome," Jiao snapped. Kira looked over at Byron for a moment before looking back at Jiao as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"Uh, we need an attendant to…measure us for any alterations or something," she commented. "And we need to put the orders in," she added, reminding Jiao the dresses they had on were only in store models and they would have to pick up their actual dresses at another time. Jiao rolled her eyes.

"Fine, bring an attendant over. I don't need any alterations, so I'm just going to change back into my clothes," she stated. She didn't wait for Kira to respond before she stalked back into her dressing room.

"O...kay." The older ranger spoke after a few moments. She looked back over at Byron, who seemed to be shifting awkwardly on his feet. Kira was tempted to ask him what that was all about, but deciding against it. She wasn't sure how Jiao would feel about that, and the last thing Kira needed was her maid of honor hating her guts. "Uh, it was nice meeting you," she commented. "I should…go find an attendant," she commented, glancing around to see if she could spot a free employee to help her.

"Yeah sure." He nodded nervously. "Congrats."

"Thanks," Kira nodded. She caught a glimpse of a store employee with a measuring ribbon draped across her shoulders by one of the racks. Kira gave Byron a departing nod before going off to approach the attendant. A part of Kira hoped, for everyone's sake, that Byron would be gone by the time Jiao came back out of the dressing room.

Luckily, Byron had already left by the time Kira came back so the attendant could take her measurements. Kira was standing by the mirrors with the attendant checking to see how much the waist of the dress would need to be taken in by the time Jiao walked out of the dressing room.

"Hey," Kira commented as she saw Jiao look around in case Byron was still lurking around. "He left," she assured her. Jiao looked at her and sighed with relief.

"Good, thanks," she said. Kira nodded.

"Are you sure you don't need any alterations on the dress?" She asked. Jiao shook her head.

"Nah, the dress fit fine," she replied. Kira nodded and simply stood still to let the attendant finish working.

"Alright, Miss Ford," the attendant commented as she put the measuring ribbon back on her shoulders. "It doesn't look like the dress needs to be taken in too much. Both of your dresses should be in by the end of next week, and then your alterations should just take about another three days after that. Will the two of you be paying for the dresses now, or when you pick them up?" She asked.

"Now." Kira replied after a moment's glance at Jiao. The attendant nodded.

"Alright then, I'll just take your dresses in the back so I can get the purchasing code. I'll meet you both at the register up front," she said. Jiao handed her dress to the attendant as Kira moved back to her dressing room to change back into her clothes. A few minutes later, Kira came back out with her dress draped over her arm and handed it to the attendant. She gave the two a polite smile. "Alrightie, I'll be with you in a few minutes," she commented as she made her way to the store's backroom.

"So you're headed back to work?" Kira questioned Jiao as they moved to stand at the counter.

"Yup," Jiao replied as she pulled her wallet out of her messenger bag to have it ready to pay for her dress. "Why?" She asked.

"Just curious." Came the shrugged reply.

"Ah," Jiao commented. The two were quiet for a bit as they waited for the attendant to come by.

"So…your friend seemed nice," Kira commented in an attempted to make conversation. Jiao's jaw tightened and snorted.

"Emphasis on 'seemed'," she replied.

"Who was he?" Kira questioned softly after a brief pause.

"Just some asshole," Jiao responded.

"Okay." She relented after another moment, sensing that Jiao didn't want to discuss the man further. Soon after that, the attendant came up to the register with two order slips.

"Alright then," she commented as she settled in behind the cash register. "This is the slip for your dress, it also has the estimate for your alteration," she stated as she handed one of the slips to Kira. "And this one's yours," she added as she handed the other to Jiao.

"And when do I need to come in and get the dress?" Jiao asked, wanting to get all of this over and done with.

"If you give me your number, we can call you once your dress comes in," the attendant replied. Jiao nodded as she went about pulling her credit card out of her wallet. Once the credit card had been processed through the system the attendant handed Jiao her card back. "I think that's all." She smiled.

"Great," she replied as she put her card back into her wallet.

"You can just write your number on your receipt," the attendant commented as she handed the slip and a pen to Jiao. While Jiao quickly signed and put her number down, Kira paid for her dress.

"Thank you both." The woman commented as the receipt printed from the machine. "So, you hang onto your order slips for when you pick your dresses up, since they have your confirmation number. And if there's anything else you need for the big day, please keep us in mind," she smiled brightly.

"Will do." Kira smiled as Jiao just rolled her eyes in response.

"Have a great day," the attendant commented.

"You too," Kira replied as she and Jiao left the store.

"See ya." The younger woman commented the moment they were out of the store.

"Bye." Kira replied as Jiao all but stalked away. Shrugging to herself, she moved back towards Conner's car, which he had graciously lent her for the day. She climbed into the vehicle and slowly pulled out of her parking space to drive back to the house. The ride was thankfully short and within a few minutes, she found herself back in the comfort of the house. "I'm home!" She called out, locking the door behind her. Just as she turned back around to walk further into the house, she heard Isis bark excitedly as she scampered out from the kitchen, her tail wagging wildly as she came to a stop by Kira's feet. "Why hello baby!" Kira laughed as she bent down and picked the puppy up in her arms. Isis panted happily and licked Kira's cheek as Kira walked towards the couch to set her purse down. "Aww, did you miss mommy?" Kira giggled.

"Of course she did." Came a voice from the kitchen doorway. Kira looked over to see Conner standing there with a smile on his face. Kira grinned.

"I hope she wasn't the only one who missed me," she teased.

"Of course she wasn't." He laughed. "I'm sure Trent missed you." Kira pouted playfully.

"Well, I'd like to think someone else missed me too," she replied as she shifted Isis in her arms to cradle the puppy against her chest with one arm while she let her purse fall onto the couch.

"Oh?" He commented as he stepped closer to her. "Who?"

"Golly, I don't know...maybe the someone I'm planning on marrying," she giggled.

"Well, I'm pretty sure he missed you more than anyone combined." He grinned.

"He'd had better," Kira teased before closing the distance between them and pecking him on the lips.

"More than you know." Came Conner's soft reply as he rubbed her back gently. Kira smiled and leaned against him, careful not to squish Isis between their two bodies.

"Good," she softly replied. After a moment, Kira moved away and set Isis back on the floor. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to have a hot bath and then maybe a nap."

"Want some company?" Conner asked with a grin.

"Hmm... What's in it for me?" Kira questioned cheekily as she moved towards the stairs. Conner chuckled.

"A naked fiancé?" He offered.

"I dunno if that's good enough." She shrugged with a grin. Now it was Conner's turn to playfully pout.

"How can that not be enough?" He asked. Kira simply giggled and shrugged again. "Hmm, how about….a naked fiancé giving you a massage?" He offered.

"Now that, sounds like an excellent idea." Kira grinned. Conner laughed.

"Glad you think so," he replied as he joined her by the stairs.

"You know it." Giggling softly again she pressed her lips to his. "Come on Romeo... I want that massage." Conner grinned.

"As you wish, Juliet," he replied as they headed up the stairs. Once in the bathroom, he closed the door softly behind them. He made sure to lock it before turning towards Kira and wrapping his arms around her waist. He pulled her closer and kissed her deeply.

"That's not a massage, Mr. McKnight," Kira teased as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"No, it's not." He agreed with a smile. He kissed her again, his hands gently kneading her back. "Better?" He cheekily asked.

"Much." She moaned, melting into his touch. Conner grinned against her lips and continued to rub up and down her back. After a short while, he kept one hand working on her back while the other moved up to massage her neck.

"As much as I'm enjoying this," Kira commented after pulling away. "I think there was talk of a bath..."

"Right, the bath," Conner murmured, lightly joking as if he had become so distracted by kissing her he had forgotten it completely. "I'll fill the tub," he offered.

"Good." She giggled as he stepped to the side and moved past her. Conner bent over the tub and put the stopper into the drain before turning the knobs to turn the faucet on.

"Want me to put anything in it?" He questioned as he stood and turned to face Kira, who was in the midst of pulling her shirt over her head. "Aside from my gorgeous nearly naked fiancée of course," he grinned. Kira finished pulling her shirt off and shot him a smirk.

"Funny," she replied. Conner simply continued to grin. "I guess a bubble bath would be nice," she added.

"Anything for you." He commented with a wink. He let the tub continue to fill up as he moved over to the counter under the sink to pull out the medium sized of bubble bath mix he had gotten Kira a little after she had gotten hurt after their first confrontation with the green ranger, when they lost Tommy. As he dumped a fair portion into the steaming bath, Kira quickly shed her pants and tossed them into the pile she had started. After a few moments the water, now mixed with a good portion of suds, reached an appropriate level and Conner shut off the water.

"You can go ahead and climb in, I'll join you in a sec," Conner commented.

"Alright." As she spoke, Kira unsnapped her bra and tossed it down before sliding her panties down and off her hips. Once she was completely naked, she carefully climbed into the tub while Conner went about getting undressed.

"How is it?" He questioned as his clothing joined hers on the floor. Kira let out a low moan as she sank into the hot water.

"Absolutely perfect," she sighed as she reclined in the tub.

"Glad to hear it." Conner chuckled as he pushed his boxers down. He kicked his boxers aside and moved over to the tub. Kira smiled up at him and leaned forward to give Conner room to join her.

"Why thank you." He chuckled as he stepped in behind her and slowly lowered himself into the tub. Once he was sitting in the tub, he carefully spread his legs on either side of Kira so they could both sit comfortably. As he situated himself, Kira slowly moved back into place and leaned against him, sighing happily. Conner smiled, wrapping his arms around her as he kissed the side of her cheek.

"Comfortable?" He murmured against her skin.

"Very," she replied, tenderly rubbing his leg. Slowly, she tilted her head and pressed her lips to his. Conner held her closer and kissed her back. After a moment, they both pulled away and Kira snuggled closer to him. "Best idea ever." She murmured. Conner chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"Glad you think so," he replied. Smiling, her head lolled slightly as she turned, before coming to a rest on his shoulder. Her hand that had previously been on his thigh, moved up to his chest. They lay still for a few moments before Conner's hand began to descend from Kira's shoulder.

"And where exactly is that hand going, Mr. McKnight?" Kira playfully asked as she felt the hand dip lower down her back.

"Oh you know." He replied nonchalantly as his palm rolled over her hip.

"Why do I have this feeling you planned on this all along?" She giggled.

"You know me too well." He chuckled. His hand gently slipped between her legs. "I thought maybe this could be a warm up." He murmured against her forehead as she slowly moved her leg to rest on top of his, allowing him to have more access.

"A warm up to what?" Kira grinned. Conner smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Our honeymoon, of course," he replied.

"Oh that kind of warm up." She commented around a giggle that became a moan as he slipped two fingers inside her. Conner ducked his head down and lightly kissed her lips as his hand continued to work between her legs. Kira squirmed slightly trying to give him more access as her head dropped to his shoulders. "Just be careful, we're not at a hundred percent yet," Kira murmured, her eyes drifting shut as she enjoyed the sensations Conner was creating.

"I know." Came his tender reply. Ever so slowly, Conner began to separate his fingers, moving in a scissor like fashion, as his thumb pressed down on her sensitive bundle of nerves resting at the apex of her thighs. Kira moaned and arched her back slightly as Conner's thumb rubbed circles on the responsive button. She shifted slightly to burry her face in her shoulder in order to muffle her moans. The last thing they needed was for her voice to carry beyond the closed bathroom door, since they were not alone in the house. Grinning at Kira's response to his actions, he carefully pushed a third finger inside her wet heat.

"Conner.." Kira moaned, squirming in his embrace.

"Uh huh?" He questioned as he twisted them slightly, pushing deeper inside her. Kira's only response was a loud guttural moan as her toes curled in the water. Grinning again, he pushed his fingers in deeper and curled slightly. Kira gasped as she felt his finger brush against the sensitive spot inside of her.

"Oh fuck." She breathed as he did it again. Conner kissed the side of her neck as he continued to brush his finger against the spot. Reflexively, Kira pressed down on his hand as she whimpered. "Oh god, Conner…" Kira whimpered, burying her face deeper into his shoulder. The mix of his finger brushing her interior erogenous zone, and his thumb circling her exterior one, was quickly driving Kira closer and closer to climax. All it took was a few more well timed strokes for Kira's back to arch as she moaned loudly. After a few moments she limply fell back against him, sighing contently. Carefully, Conner extracted his fingers and gently pushed her leg back into the warm water. It took her a few moments to recover before she glanced up at Conner. "Well... I can honestly say that was well worth the wait." She giggled. Conner chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Is that so?" He cheekily asked.

"Mmhmm." She nodded lazily. "It's been a very long time." Conner held her closer and kissed her neck again. "Thanks." Came her giggle again as she snuggled closer to him. Conner grinned against her neck and rubbed her back gently.

"It was my pleasure," he replied.

"Oh really?" Kira questioned as one of her hands slowly descended from his chest.

"Yes really," Conner continued to grin.

"I can think of another thing that involves pleasure..." She trailed off.

"Oh really?" He asked, his grin widening.

"Yup." Came her reply as her hand dipped under the water and came to a rest on his rapidly stiffening appendage. "Looks like someone's already partway there."

"Well how could I not be, when I'm here with my gorgeous, not to mention naked, fiancé?" He huskily replied.

"True." Kira giggled as she wrapped her hand around him. Conner groaned and leaned back in the tub as Kira's hand began to move up and down his erection. Giving him a sultry grin, her thumb grazed over the tip of his member.

"Oh god." He moaned as her hand continued to stroke him erotically, her pace increasing each time. Conner continued to moan, his hips shifting slightly in the water in response to each of her strokes. It wasn't long before Kira's strokes drew him closer and closer to the edge. Conner moaned as Kira pushed him over the edge and he climaxed. Slowly, she released him as he slumped further into the tub. "Wow." He murmured slowly after a few minutes, his chest still heaving heavily. Kira giggled and leaned over to snuggle against him. They laid in silence for nearly twenty minutes before the water began to turn cold, and a shiver ran up Kira's spin, causing her to cuddle closer to Conner.

"Ready to get out?" He asked, running a hand up and down her back to warm her up.

"Yes." She replied. "I'm thinking a nap might be in order though."

"Alright," Conner replied as he nudged the stopper out of the drain with his foot. As the water began to drain out of the tub, he slowly released Kira from his grasp and allowed her to climb out of the tub first. Kira got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself. Reaching over, she grabbed a second towel and handed it to Conner as he stepped out as well. "Thanks," Conner smiled as he wrapped the towel around his waist.

"You're welcome." Kira replied with a blush. Conner wrapped his arms around her and lightly kissed her forehead.

"So, need some company with that nap too?" He asked.

"Well... I was thinking that Isis does like to cuddle." Kira giggled cheekily.

"You know, there's someone else who's a fan of cuddling with you, too," Conner chuckled.

"Oh I know that Trent is." Kira replied, trying not to burst out laughing. "But he's taken." Conner frowned.

"Don't make me tickle you," he lightly threatened.

"You wouldn't." Came her response with a knowing smile. "I'm still recovering." Conner shrugged.

"I'd just be gentle and careful when I'm tickling you," he replied.

"That'd be mean though." She teased softly, poking him in the chest. Conner chuckled and gently pulled her closer.

"Well so is teasing your fiancé when he's expressing his desire to cuddle with you," he teasingly pointed out.

"Well, I didn't realize that he needed a written invitation to do so." Kira replied with a fond smile.

"I don't need one, per se," he stated with another chuckle. "But you stating you'd like to cuddle with me too wouldn't hurt," he grinned.

"Poor baby." She cooed softly, stroking his cheek. "Need me to kiss it better?" Kira continued, as if she were talking to a small child, her tone bordering on humor. Conner's grin widened as he chuckled.

"That depends on what 'it' you're referring to," he cheekily replied, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Kira snorted out a laugh and shook her head.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Jock," she laughed.

"Aww, but that's its home!" He shot back with a chuckle.

"Yeah, well, get it to rent a modest little apartment in Mature-ville," she giggled.

"That's what I have you for." Conner smiled. "Now... About the cuddling..."

"What about it?" She cheekily replied. Shooting her a playful glare, Conner dropped his head quickly and smashed his lips against hers. His arms that had been holding her loosely, pressed her closer to him as he deepened the kiss. Kira moaned softly against his lips as her hands moved up into his hair. Ever so slowly, Conner backed her up, until she was pressed against the wall between the bathroom and their bedroom. Kira sighed as she felt Conner's lips trail kisses down to her neck.

"Conner..." She trailed off as her hands drifted down to his bare chest.

"Yes?" Conner huskily murmured against the side of her neck.

"We shouldn't... Out here..." Came her response. Conner sighed.

"Oh, alright," he replied, giving her neck one more kiss before pulling away.

"Sorry." Kira murmured softly, disliking the fact that he wasn't as close to her anymore.

"It's okay," Conner smiled, "that just means we need to get back to our room all the more faster," he chuckled. Blushing slightly, Kira turned her head and bit her lip before nodding. Conner grinned and took her hand in his as the two walked the short distance to their bedroom. Once just past the threshold of their room, he turned and closed the door behind them and locked it. He then turned back to Kira and wrapped his arms around her once again.

"Hi." He murmured as he pressed his lips to hers softly. "I think you should lose that towel..." Kira chuckled.

"You do, huh?" She teased.

"Yup," Conner grinned. Kira smirked.

"Well, I guess I will have to lose the towel to get into some pajamas," she playfully mused.

"Hmm... No I don't think so." Came his response as he pulled her closer.

"You don't?" Kira innocently asked. "But I need to put on my pjs to nap," she commented.

"Who said anything about a nap?" Conner stated huskily as he pressed his hips against her. Kira moaned softly and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Now, now, Mr. McKnight, the plan was warm bath and nap. Besides, we're both still recovering, we can't do much more than the happy hands action in the tub," she tenderly pointed out.

"Oh really?" Conner murmured. "I can be gentle." Came the statement as he began to nip along her neck.

"Conner," Kira sighed.

"Hmm?" He murmured against her skin as his hands dropped from her back and slowly began to tug at her towel.

"Don't make me decide to uninvite you to cuddle with me," she softly chastised in between a quiet giggle.

"You wouldn't do that to me." Conner chuckled as the towel loosened. Kira rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I might have to do that, if you keep misbehaving," she giggled.

"Is it really misbehaving if you're fiancée is wearing nothing but a short towel and looks gorgeous?" He questioned. Kira giggled and slowly stepped out of his embrace.

"Hey, my fiancé's in a towel too…and showing off more skin than I am…and I'm managing to behave myself," she teased as she moved over to the dresser to pull out some clothes.

"Yeah, but he doesn't have sexy legs and a drop dead gorgeous body." Conner replied as he followed her. Kira smiled.

"Well, you'll just have to find a way to behave," she teased as she shut the drawer and set the pajama set on top of the dresser.

"And if I don't?" He responded as he stopped behind her and let his hands slide around her body to the opening of her towel.

"Conner..." She murmured as his hands slipped under the towel and rested on her warm, naked flesh.

"Yes?" Conner asked before kissing the spot behind her ear. Kira sighed as she was sorely tempted to just go with it, but in the end she was worried it might aggravate her injuries.

"Come on, let's just nap," she commented. He murmured something incoherent against her neck as his hands slowly moved upwards and came to a rest just under her breasts. It took Conner a moment to realize that Kira was being serious in her request for him to stop. Sighing against her skin, he slowly pulled his hands away, but could not control the reaction in his lower region, currently pressed into Kira's back. "Sorry," Kira murmured, noticing Conner had gotten substantially riled up.

"S'ok." He murmured softly as he let her towel fall back into place. Kira picked up the pajamas from the dresser and turned back to move towards the bed. She placed a gentle kiss on Conner's cheek before moving away to let him get his clothes out. "Kir, I'm gonna go take a cold shower." He commented, feeling his arousal still mounting. Kira looked over at him and frowned, feeling even worse.

"Okay," she softly commented.

"I'll be back soon, before you fall asleep." Conner murmured as he leaned over and kissed her softly, caressing her cheek gently. Kira nodded.

"I'll be waiting for you," she replied.

"Love you." He whispered against her lips before departing the room quickly and heading back to the bathroom.

"Love you too," Kira called out after him as he left, before shutting the door and changing into her pajamas. Once she had changed, she moved back to the door to hang up her towel before turning back to the bed. She pulled back the covers on her side of the bed and climbed into bed. She sat up against the headboard to wait for Conner. Her wait was not as long as she expected, as Conner returned almost ten minutes later, his towel wrapped firmly around his hips. Water from his hair dripped down and slowly trailed down, across his chest and back. Kira's mouth went slightly dry at the sight.

"Hey," Conner muttered as he moved over to the dresser to pull out a t-shirt and boxers.

"Hey." She replied, noting his demeanor had changed since his departure. Kira simply watched as Conner slipped his boxers on and pulled his towel off of his waist to dry his chest, back and hair before putting the t-shirt on. She frowned slightly as he pulled the t-shirt over his head, signifying that he was indeed upset, as he normally slept in only his boxers. "Are you okay?" She softly asked as Conner hung his towel on the back of the door.

"Yup." He replied dismissively as he moved towards his side of the bed.

"Oh," Kira murmured, not believing him for one second.

"What's wrong Conner?" She questioned after a beat.

"Nothing's wrong," Conner replied as he climbed into bed.

"You're lying." She shot back, scooting closer to him. "Is it because..." She trailed off.

"You said you wanted to nap, so let's just go to sleep," Conner sighed as he lay down.

"Conner." Kira murmured sadly.

"What?" Conner groaned.

"Can we please talk about this?" She requested softly, reaching out to stroke his cheek.

"It's nothing," he insisted.

"It obviously is." Kira replied softly. "I'm sorry that I said no Conner... I'm just afraid that one of us is going to get hurt, and given that it's been a few months since we've been intimate together, I don't want that to linger in our heads." She commented. "Trust me, it's not because I'm not in the mood... I'm very much in the mood." Conner didn't reply to that, causing Kira to sigh. "Please don't be mad at me," she softly pleaded. "I just don't want to do something that makes either of us have to go see Dr. Burak again. How embarrassing would that be? Hey doc, yeah…we aggravated our wounds going at it like bunnies that just got out of prison," she joked, hoping to lighten the tension. Conner couldn't help snort and chuckle slightly at that. Kira smiled as he chuckled.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Conner commented as he chuckled. "I guess us not going at it is for the best."

"Thank you." She murmured softly. Conner sighed and stretched his arm out to wrap it around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been upset," he murmured. "I guess no matter what, I'm still a guy," he lightly joked.

"I understand." She nodded sympathetically. "Conner, there's nothing I'd love more then to have mind-blowing sex with you right now... But we can't." Conner nodded and lightly kissed her forehead.

"I understand," he replied.

"Okay." She whispered, giving him a soft smile. She snuggled up closer to his side and rested her head on his chest. His arms slowly wrapped around her as he kissed the crown of her head.

"I love you," he murmured in her hair.

"Likewise." Kira commented gently. Conner smiled and kissed her head again as he rubbed her back.

* * *

Ryder parked his car outside Jiao's house later that night. Jiao had complained and dreaded going shopping with Kira, and Ryder had laughingly agreed to come by afterwards in case she needed to de-stress at the end of the day. Not that Ryder needed much of a reason to come by her house, given that he had spent the bulk of the past week in her house. He popped back to his own place every so often so his friends and neighbors didn't give him any gruff for being off and away so much.

Ryder was grateful to see their conversation regarding Jiao's aversion to cuddling had stuck with her. Their time together had definitely changed since then, with Jiao allowing them to grow closer. Though Ryder wouldn't really say they were a conventional couple, nor would he try to call Jiao his girlfriend, he felt like there was something there between them than just physical lust.

Ryder jogged up Jiao's porch steps and knocked on the door. It took a moment before the door opened and Jiao appeared. The small smile Ryder had had on his face quickly disappeared when he laid eyes on her. Jiao's eyes were a fierce bloodshot red, and there were other obvious signs that she had been crying.

"What's wrong?" He quickly asked. Jiao looked away and shrugged.

"Nothing, I'm fine," she murmured as she moved away from the door to let him in.

"You're lying Jiao." He murmured softly. He walked in and shut the door behind him. "Come on, what is it?" He asked. Jiao shrugged.

"It's no big deal, just watched a sad movie," she lied. Ryder scoffed slightly and shook his head.

"You really don't strike me as the type to cry over a movie, now what's really wrong?" He asked.

"I ran into my ex." She muttered quietly. Ryder raised his eyebrows.

"Your ex?" He asked, surprised. Jiao hadn't shared much with him about her ex boyfriend. All she had told him was that they had been together for a long time and it ended badly. But she had been tight lipped about anything else. "He lives here in Texas?" He asked. Jiao snorted and shook her head.

"No…and that was one of the nice things about this place," she muttered. She sniffled and wiped at her cheeks. "Apparently he's in town for some work thing….he tracked me down at the dress shop while I was with Kira."

"Um, that's a little creepy..." Ryder commented. Jiao chuckled wryly.

"Well, dude is a creep, so I guess it's fitting," she lowly muttered. Ryder sighed and stepped closer to her.

"Come here," he softly commented as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Sighing, she moved into his arms and let him comfort her. Ryder enveloped her in his arms as she placed her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

"Seeing him again…it just…brought all the crap back to the surface," she mumbled as a few more tears leaked out.

"It's okay." He murmured softly as he began to rub her back. "He's gone." Jiao blew out a shaky breath and snuggled deeper into his embrace, her arms slipping around his waist. Ryder ducked his head down and kissed her forehead. The two stood like that for a few moments until Jiao's tears subsided.

"Thanks," she murmured, wiping away a remnant tear from her cheek.

"You're welcome." He replied softly. He pulled one hand off her back and gently cupped her cheek before placing a brief tender kiss on her lips. "Better?" He murmured as he pulled away.

"A little, I guess," she replied. Ryder frowned slightly.

"Just a little?" He asked. "Hmm," he mused before placing another kiss on her lips. "How about now?" He asked with a grin. Jiao laughed and good-naturedly shoved his chest.

"Dork," she commented.

"Could be worse." He laughed in response. "At least you're smiling now." Jiao was quiet for a moment, touched by his sentiment.

"Thank you," she softly commented. She sighed and stepped out of his arms. "Ugh, I need some tissues. I must look like the blotchy thing from the black lagoon or something," she said as she moved to her coffee table and grabbed tissue after tissue.

"Nah." Ryder replied with a smile. "You still look beautiful." Jiao froze and gazed at him with a sort of dumbstruck look on her face.

"You…think I'm beautiful?" She asked, a little surprised. Ryder moved closer to her and slipped an arm back around her waist.

"Think? Nah…I think it's more something I just know," he smiled.

"Oh." She replied, a blush creeping over her face.

"I haven't told you that before?" He asked. Jiao shook her head, a small smile on her lips as she began to feel butterflies in her stomach.

"No, I don't believe you have," she murmured.

"Guess I'll just have to tell you more from now on then huh?" Ryder chuckled. Jiao didn't even try to suppress the small giggle at that.

"Looks like it," she quipped. Ryder grinned and leaned down to kiss her deeply.

"So why exactly are you here?" Jiao questioned after he pulled away.

"I told you I was coming by, yesterday," Ryder slowly replied, to remind her. "Remember? I offered to stop by, to help you de-stress after shopping with Kira," he pointed out.

"Oh, right," she replied. "I'm sorry…I guess with what else happened today, I forgot," she muttered.

"Understandable." He nodded with a smile. He ducked down and gave her another kiss. "So, have you eaten yet?" He asked, his hands lightly rubbing her back. "Because, I was thinking, since your day sucked, I could whip us up something." In the past week, with the two of them often needing nourishment after late night 'rounds' and wanting more variety than the few dive places that would still be open late into the night, Jiao had gotten into the habit of keeping her kitchen fully stocked.

"Hmm," Jiao mused. "I guess I could eat, later," she commented, a smile on her face.

"Later, huh?" Ryder chuckled. "And what do you have in mind for now?" He asked. Jiao's smile grew into a cheeky grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Well, I suppose I do still need to de-stress," she innocently commented.

"Oh I suppose you do." He chuckled. His hands drifted south ever so slightly as he kissed the side of her neck. "And what did you have in mind, in terms of de-stressing?" He teased against her pulse point.

"I'm sure you can think of a few things." Jiao sighed contently.

"True," Ryder huskily commented before lightly nibbling on her ear. Jiao moaned and tilted her head to give Ryder better access to her neck. "So, bedroom or here?" He murmured, his arms tightening around her.

"Bed." She replied after a moment.

"As you wish," Ryder murmured before his hands gripped her thighs just under her backside and he hoisted her up. Jiao giggled and wrapped her legs around his waist as Ryder carried her to her bedroom. It didn't take long to reach their destination before Ryder dumped Jiao onto her bed with a yelp as he pounced on top of her.

"Someone's eager," Jiao giggled as she wrapped her arms around him again. Ryder chuckled.

"Can't help it," he replied as he worked on inching her shirt up over her head.

"Oh?" She questioned, her eyebrows raising. "And why is that?"

"Haven't we had this conversation before?" He asked as he finally managed to get her shirt off. "I can't get enough of you," he grinned.

"Just wanted to hear it again." Jiao blushed and replied softly. Ryder smiled and wrapped his arms around her, his lips fastening on hers while his hands worked on unclasping her bra.

"In a hurry?" She giggled as he pulled away a few moments later for some much needed air.

"To get you naked? Maybe," he replied with a cheeky grin.

"Oh really? Well, what about you getting naked?" She teased as her hands toyed with the hem of his shirt.

"Oh we'll get there soon." He chuckled. He unhooked her bra and slipped it off of her, carelessly tossing it aside before focusing on kissing down her neck to her chest. Jiao gasped and arched her back as she felt Ryder's mouth close around her nipple. One of his hands traveled around her back, bringing her closer, while his other hand moved to her other unoccupied breast. Jiao moaned as Ryder's thumb and tongue simultaneously flicked against each of her nipples. Ryder continued for a few minutes before his hand and mouth switched places. She rolled her head as another moan escaped her lips. Just as Jiao began to feel herself encroaching the ascent to her climax, Ryder's mouth moved off her breast and kissed a trail down to her stomach.

"Not fair," she panted.

"Be patient," Ryder chuckled against her skin while his hands moved to her hips and worked on unbuttoning her jeans.

"You know I'm not." She whined.

"True," he chuckled as he slowly unzipped her fly, "but it's kind of fun to make you be patient," he grinned.

"Tease," Jiao pouted.

"Maybe a little," he impishly replied before pulling her jeans down over her hips.

"Maybe a little my ass." She shot back, trying not to laugh.

"And it's such a nice ass, too," he teased, giving her backside a small pinch over her underwear. Jiao gave a small squeak at that.

"Hey!" She chided with a small giggle.

"Aw, do you want me to kiss it better?" He chuckled.

"Just get back to work, buddy," she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, ma'am," he laughed as he finished pulling her jeans off and tossed it over by her bra. He slowly ran his hands back up her legs to her underwear. "Cute." He grinned as he pulled them away and let them snap back against her body.

"Hey!" She chided again. "You keep horsing around, I might decide to just take over," she threatened.

"Naw, I don't think so." Ryder laughed as he kissed her hip bone and nipped at it. Jiao sighed contently.

"Alright, fine," she relented, "you're just lucky I happen to like what you do." Ryder chuckled and kissed along her stomach until he reached her other hip bone.

"Glad you think so," he grinned against her skin.

"Don't get cocky." Jiao chided again with a giggle.

"Whatever you say," he grinned. He slid his hands up to her hips and hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her panties before slowly pulling them down. As he tosses them away, his eyes leered at her naked body, before slowly moving back up to her eyes.

"Enjoying the view?" Jiao asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Of course," Ryder replied, his voice low and husky. Biting her lip slightly, a shiver ran across her body. Unconsciously, her legs move apart, inviting him in. Ryder grinned and scooted on the bed to be at a closer position to her. He gently spread her legs apart some more to get between them. Once he was in the desired spot, he hitched one of her knees over his shoulder. He watched as Jiao blushed as he kissed her inner thigh softly. Jiao gave a soft almost purr like sound as his lips lightly brushed against her skin. He did the same on her inner thigh, before his mouth inched closer to the apex of her thighs. He took a moment to watch Jiao before his mouth slowly enclosed upon her sensitive bundle of nerves. Jiao moaned loudly as she felt him suction the small nub between his lips. Ryder flicked his tongue against the tip while his hand gently caressed the thigh by his shoulder and two fingers of his free hand slipped inside of her.

"Oh god." She whimpered as he began to twist them inside her. Ryder slowly piston the two fingers in and out of her as his tongue swirled around the bundle of nerves. "Ryder..." She whimpered as he curved his fingers and stroked the tender area inside her body. Jiao's legs tensed slightly as each stroke of his fingers and tongue brought her closer to orgasm. Grinning slightly against her folds, Ryder noted that her hands were fisted in the bed sheets as he coaxed her towards her release. Jiao's moans and gasps filled the room for a while longer while Ryder steadily continued to bring on her release. Just as Jiao's toes tightly curled together, she felt Ryder's teeth scrape against the bundle of nerves.

"Fuck!" She cried out as she felt her release occur. Her back arched and her hips bucked against him lightly as she climaxed. Once the orgasm had run its course, she tiredly slumped back on her bed, panting as she recovered. Grinning, Ryder pulled away and licked his lips as he set her legs back down on her beg.

"Oh god," Jiao sighed as she caught her breath. "That was….amazing."

"Glad to hear." He grinned cheekily. He slowly shifted on the bed to lie beside her.

"Need a few minutes?" He chuckled as her chest continued to heave, a thin sheet of sweat covering her.

"Maybe," Jiao panted.

"I guess I can give that to you." He continued to chuckle. Jiao snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Gee, thanks," she replied, lightly hitting his arm. Ryder simply laughed and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close and kissed her forehead.

"Would you rather I didn't give you a few minutes to recover?" He teased.

"Hush." She scolded with a giggle. Ryder chuckled and rubbed her back.

"I'm just saying'," he grinned. "If you want to keep going, I'm all for it." Jiao rolled her eyes again.

"No, I'm good with taking a break," she replied. She tilted her head up to look at him. "But if you're that eager, you can make yourself useful during the break and start getting naked," she grinned.

"Demanding aren't you?" He laughed. Jiao giggled and shrugged playfully.

"Just thought I'd make the suggestion," she cheekily replied.

"Uh huh, likely story." Ryder commented with a grin. "I guess I can do that though, since I'd like to get down to it as soon as you're good to." Jiao laughed.

"Get to stripping, then," she jokingly ordered.

"Right away!" He gave her a mock salute. Jiao giggled while Ryder scrambled out of the bed and began kicking his shoes off and unbuckling his belt.

"Trying to beat a record or something?" She questioned as he shoved his jeans off his hips.

"You're the one who made it sound like I needed to get naked pronto," Ryder laughed as he kicked his shoes and jeans aside and went to pull his shirt off.

"Well, it does mean that I get a show." Jiao grinned cheekily.

"You want a show, eh?" Ryder asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Maybe... Why?" She questioned. "Interested in giving one?" Ryder shrugged.

"Sure, why not," he grinned. Folding her arms behind her head, Jiao grinned at him.

"Whenever you're ready then." Ryder laughed.

"Do you want me to wait for you to get some singles or something?" He teased.

"My payment comes in the form of sex later on." She shot back cheekily.

"Hmm, good point," Ryder chuckled. "Alright then," he commented as he resumed taking his shirt off, only now he did it at a very slow and teasing manner. Jiao just smirked as he proceeded to get undressed, occasionally licking her lips while she leered at his sculpted body. After some time, Ryder was finally removing his boxers—his last article of clothing. Jiao bit her lip and eagerly waited for Ryder's show to end. He sent her a sly grin and stuck his hands out.

"Ta-da!" He commented huskily. Jiao gave him an almost predatory smile and drew herself up on her knees at the edge of the bed.

"Come here," she huskily commanded, crooking a finger at him. Ryder grinned and instantly complied. He stepped closer to the bed until he was right in front of her. Jiao brought her hands up and slowly ran them up and down his chest while her lips fastened themselves on his collarbone. Ryder's eyes drifted shut as he sighed at the feeling of Jiao lightly sucking and nipping on the spot. Ever so slowly, she moved upwards, before capturing his earlobe between her teeth. "You know," She commented as she released it and whispered in his ear. "That was quite the show..."

"Glad you enjoyed it," Ryder huskily murmured. He gave a low moan as he felt Jiao's tongue sensuously slither into his ear.

"Oh, I did," she murmured in his ear. "In fact, I liked it so much, as far as payment goes, I think you earned yourself a tip," she softly giggled in his ear.

"And what kind of tip would that be?" Ryder asked. Instead of answering right away, Jiao slid one of her hands down his stomach and wrapped it around his rigid appendage. "Oh, that kind of tip," he breathed out.

"Mmhmm." She murmured in response. Her hand slowly slid from the base to the tip and back again.

"I like your form of tipping." Ryder moaned as he dropped his head against her shoulder.

"I figured you might," Jiao giggled as she continued to move her hand. Ryder shut his eyes and moaned, enjoying the sensations Jiao was causing. After a few moments, Jiao's hand moved off of him as she lowered herself until she was sitting on her heels. Ryder opened his eyes, ready to ask why she had stopped, but stopped when he saw her grinning up at him wickedly. Wordlessly she wrapped her hand around him once again and leaned closer to him. Moments later, Ryder groaned as he felt Jiao wrap her lips around his erection.

"Jesus," Ryder moaned as Jiao's lips tightened around him. Ryder's head lulled backwards as he felt Jiao's tongue lightly flick against the tip of his appendage every so often. He buried his hand in her hair as she took him deeper into her mouth. "Jiao…" He panted.

"Mm?" She replied, which only made Ryder squeeze his eyes shut and moan at the vibrations that sent through him.

"I think….you should probably stop…..if you plan on us doing anything else," he lowly stated. It took her a moment before she slowly pulled her lips off him with a 'pop'.

"Mmm kay." She purred. Ryder's knees nearly buckled beneath him the moment she let him go. He carefully sat down on the bed.

"I think I need a minute or two, unless you want me to…finish…three seconds into things," he chuckled.

"Oh I guess you can have some recovery time." She giggled. She draped her arms across his shoulders and lightly kissed his neck.

"Hey, I'm recovering here," Ryder playfully chided, even though his arms went around her waist.

"If a little kiss on the neck is enough to disrupt your recovery, we have a problem," she teased with a giggle.

"Apparently." He chuckled in response as his fingers grazed her back lightly. Jiao continued to giggle and brushed her lips along his jaw.

"So, almost ready?" She asked as she kissed the spot where his jaw and ear met. Ryder chuckled.

"You really are impatient," he commented.

"It's one of my finer qualities." Came her response.

"True," Ryder smiled. "I just don't think you'd be too happy if we continue too soon and things aren't as pleasant and long lasting as usual," he laughed.

"Are you suggesting marathon sex again?" Jiao commented as she nibbled his earlobe again. Ryder laughed again and tilted his head to brush his lips against the side of her neck.

"Would that be a problem?" He cheekily asked.

"Not at all." Came the fast reply. "Sounds like a rather good idea to me." Ryder grinned and lightly kissed her neck again.

"Good to hear," he replied. "So, I'm guessing any possible dinner options we decide on…it should be something quick to make, so it doesn't get too much in the way of the marathon, huh?" Jiao giggled at that.

"Pretty much," she replied.

"Glad to see we're on the same page." Came his response around a chuckle.

"Uh huh," Jiao replied. Ryder chuckled again and gently rubbed her back for a few moments before sitting up and kissing her forehead.

"Well, I think I'm good to continue," he grinned.

"About time!" She replied exasperatedly.

"So sorry you had to wait," he commented with a good natured roll of his eyes. Jiao simply grinned as she looked back at him.

"That's okay, it just means you have to make it up to me," she replied.

"Hmm, I guess I will." Ryder agreed with a leer. "How would you like me to make it up to you?" He asked. Jiao pursed her lips and shrugged innocently.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," she replied.

"Maybe." He agreed. "But it'd go a lot faster if you told me." He replied with a grin.

"But I'd imagine you're much more creative than I am," she said with a small giggle, "so, maybe it'd be better if I just let you think something up."

"You might be right." Came his response with a laugh.

Aren't I always?" She cheekily asked. Ryder laughed again and shook his head.

"Since disagreeing with you there will just delay things….for now, fine, you're always right," he chuckled. Before Jiao could reply, Ryder grabbed her by her hips and lightly tossed her backwards on the bed so she ended up on her back closer to the headboard.

"Hey!" She laughed loudly as she bounced on the mattress. Ryder simply smirked as he moved on top of her.

"Problem?" He asked.

"Not anymore." Came the fast reply. "As long as you plan on getting down to action right away."

"Impatient, _and_ bossy," Ryder chuckled as his hands moved down to her outer parts of her thighs. Once he had a firm grip on her legs, he hitched her knees up, gently spreading her legs beneath him.

"Again, I say, they're my finer qualities." Jiao grinned.

"Hmm. If you say so," Ryder joked as he shifted his hips, the tip of his erection brushing against her inner thigh. Jiao bit her lip and wrapped her arms around his neck, eager to continue. Grinning, he slowly pushed himself deep between her thighs, his arms circling around her, bringing her closer to him. Jiao's eyes drifted shut and a soft moan escaped her lips as she felt Ryder slowly slide inside of her. A low moan emitted from Ryder's lips as Jiao wrapped her legs around him, drawing him deeper into her. Pressing his hands into the mattress next to her hips, Ryder began to thrust slowly. Jiao tossed her head back against her pillow and bit her lip, her hips gently rocking up against his. Carefully, he moved one of his hands and slipped it around her back, bringing her body closer to his if it were possible.

"Oh god…" Jiao passionately whimpered as he thrust deeper into her, her nails lightly digging into his shoulders. Leaning down slightly, his lips brushed against her neck before nipping at the soft skin gently. Jiao moaned and ducked her head down to kiss the side of his cheek as the pace of their colliding hips increased. She gasped loudly as he began to pick up the crease of his thrusts, hitting the responsive area inside her. "Ryder…" She whimpered around a moan as her back arched slightly.

"Uh huh?" Came the grunted reply against her neck as he increased the pace once again. The only reply Jiao could give at that point was small high pitched whines of ecstasy. Ryder squeezed his eyes shut and grunted lowly as Jiao's inner walls tightened around him.

The room filled with the sounds of their moans, groans, and the occasional squeaking and shifting of the bed as their bodies collided over and over again. The more of a rapid pace their movements began to take, the louder their moans became until Jiao tossed her head back, her back arching even more than before, and let loose a loud guttural moan as she climaxed, followed by Ryder reaching his own release just moments later.

"Somehow..." Jiao panted out after a few moments. "It just keeps getting better."

Ryder chuckled around his panting attempts to catch his breath and carefully rolled off of her. "Why, thank you," he cheekily grinned as he shifted onto his back beside Jiao and moved his arm around her.

"Dork." She replied, rolling her eyes.

"You love it," Ryder continued to chuckle. He tightened his arm around her and gently pulled her closer to his side. She just rolled her eyes in response.

"Whatever," she chortled as she turned onto her side to rest her head on his chest.

"Go to sleep." He encouraged as she yawned a few minutes later.

"Mmm," Jiao murmured in acknowledgement as her eyelids drooped slightly. Ryder smiled and carefully pulled the covers up over them before lightly kissing the top of her head. Jiao snuggled under the covers, pressing her self closer to his side as one of her legs shifted to weave between his. Ryder gently rubbed her back until he heard her breathing change as she drifted off to sleep.


End file.
